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HISTORY 

AND 

COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION 

OF 

LOUDOUN COUNTY 

VIRGINIA 

BY 

JAMES W. HEAD 



PARK VIEW PRESS 



\<' 



v 



V 



Copyright igo^ 
by JAMES IV. HEAD 



Hiw 



©ebication. 



TO MY MOTHER, 



WHOSE LOVE FOR LOUDOUN IS NOT LESS ARDENT 

AND UNDYING THAN MY OWN, THIS VOLUME, 

THE SINGLE AMBITION AND FONDEST 

ACHIEVEMENT OF MY LIFE, 

IS AFFECTIONATELY 

DEDICATED. 




OUDOUN County exemplifies country 
life in about the purest and pleasantest 
form that I have yet found in the 
United States. Not that it is a rural 
Utopia by any means, but the chief 
ideals of the life there are practically 
identical with those that have made country life in 
the English counties world-famous. As a type, this 
is, in fact, the real thing. No sham, no artificiality, 
no suspicion of mushroom growth, no evidence of 
exotic forcing are to be found in Loudoun, but the 
culmination of a century's development," 



"So much, then, to show briefly that lyoudoun 
County life is a little out of the ordinary, here in 
America, and hence worth talking about. There are 
other communities in Virginia and elsewhere that are 
worthy of eulogy, but I know of none that surpasses 
Loudoun in the dignity, sincerity, naturalness, com- 
pleteness and genuine success of its country life," — 
WALTER A. DYER, in Coimtry Life in America. 



conte;nts 



®abb of (EoufentB* 



Pages. 

Introduction 9-14 

Situation 15-16 

boundariks 16-18 

Topography. 18-20 

Comparative: Altitudes 21-22 

Drainage 22-25 

CivImate 25-26 

Geology 26-44 

Summary 26-30 

Granite 30 

Ivoudoun Formation 30-32 

Weverton Sandstone 32-34 

Newark System 34-36 

Newark Diabase 36-38 

Catoctin Schist 38-39 

. Rocks of the Piedmont Plain 39-40 

Lafayette Formation 40-41 

Metamorphism 41-44 

Mineral and Kindred Deposits 44-49 

Soils 49-66 

Summary 49-52 

lyoudoun Sandy Loam 53-54 

PennClay 54-55 

Penn Stony Loam 55-56 

Iredell Clay Loam 56-58 

Penn Loam 58-59 

Cecil Loam 59-60 

Cecil Clay 60-62 



6 CONTENTS 

Pages. 

S011.S — Continued 49-66 

Cecil Silt Loam 62-6} 

Cecil Mica Loam 63-64 

De Kalb Stony Loam 64-65 

Porters Clay 65-66 

Meadow 66 

Flora and Fauna 67-69 

Flora 67-68 

Fauna 68-69 

Transportation Faciuties 69-71 

Towns and Vili^ages 71-79 

Leesburg 71-74 

Round Hill 74-75 

Waterford 75 

Hamilton 75 

Purcellville 75-76 

Middleburg 76 

Ashburn 76 

Bluemont l(>-77 

Smaller Towns 77-79 

^tattsltral iBc^artutPut. 

Area and Farming Tabulations 81-83 

Population 83-87 

Industries 87-91 

Farm Values 91-93 

Live Stock 94-97 

Values 94 

Animals Sold and Slaughtered 94 

Neat cattle 95 

Dairy Products 95-96 

Steers 96 

Horses, Mules, etc 96 

Sheep, Goats, and Swine 96-97 



CONTENTS 7 

Pages. 

IvivE Stock — Continued 94-97 

Domestic Wool 97 

Poultry and Bees 97 

Soil Products 98-100 

Values 98 

Corn and Wheat 98 

Oats, Rye. and Buckwheat 98-99 

Hay and Forage Crops 99 

Miscellaneous Crops, etc 99 

Orchard Fruits, etc 100 

Small P'ruits, etc 100 

Flowers, Ornamental Plants, etc 100 

Farm IvAbor and Fertilizers 101-102 

Labor 101 

Fertilizers 101-102 

Education and Religion 102-105 

Education 102-104 

Religion 104-105 

l^tBtnnral ii*;iartmrnt. 

Formation 107-109 

Derivation of Name 109-110 

Settlement and PeRvSonnel 110-113 

Early Habits, Customs, and Dress II3-I23 

Habits 113-115 

Customs 116-120 

Dress 120-123 

French and Indian War I23-124 

Representation 124-127 

Colonial Assemblies 124-125 

State Conventions 125-127 

The Revolution 127-138 

Loudoun's Loyalty 127 

Resolutions of Loudoun County 127-129 



CONTENTS 



The Revolution — Continued 127-138 

Revolutionary Committees I3O-I3I 

Soldiery I3I-I32 

Quaker Non-Participation 132-133 

Loudoun's Revolutionary Hero 133-134 

Army Recommendations 134-135 

Court Orders and Reimbursements 135-137 

Close of the Struggle H38 

War of 1812 I38-I39 

The Compelling Cause 138-I39 

State Archives at Leesburg 139 

The Mason-McCarty Duel. . 140 

Home of President Monroe 141-142 

General Lafayette's Visit 142-144 

Mexican War 144 

Secession and Civil War 145-180 

Loudoun County in the Secession Movement. .145-148 

Loudoun's Participation in the War 149-151 

The Loudoun Rangers (Federal) 151-153 

Mosby's Command in its Relationship to Lou- 
doun County 153-157 

Mosby at Hamilton (Poem) 157 

Battle of Leesburg ("Ball's Bluflf") 158-I64 

Munford's Fight at Leesburg I64-I65 

Battle at Aldie 165-169 

Duffie at Middleburg 169-171 

The Sacking of Loudoun 171-174 

Home Life During the War 174-175 

Pierpont's Pretentious Administration 176-177 

Emancipation 177-179 

Close of the War 179-180 

Reconstruction I8O-I86 

After the Surrender I8O-I83 

Conduct of the Freedmen I83-I86 

Conclusion 186 



intro&uatott. 




OJ^^^li^Ckf^KNOW not when I first planned this work, so 
'^"^ inextricably is the idea interwoven with a 
fading recollection of my earliest aims and am- 
bitions. However, had I not been resolutely 
determined to conclude it at any cost — men- 
tal, physical, or pecuniary — the difficulties that 
I have experienced at every stage might have led to its early 
abandonment. 

The greatest difficulty lay in procuring material which 
could not be supplied bj^ individual research and investiga- 
tion. For this and other valid reasons that will follow it may 
safely be said that more than one-half the contents of this 
volume are in the strictest sense original, the remarks and 
detail, for the most part, being the products of my own per- 
sonal observation and reflection. Correspondence with individ- 
uals and the State and National authorities, though varied 
and extensive, elicited not a half dozen important facts. I 
would charge no one with discourtesy in this particular, and 
mention the circumstance onl)' because it will serve to empha- 
size what I shall presently say anen^ the scarcity of available 
material. 

Likewise, a painstaking perusal of more than two hundred 

45—2 (9) 



10 INTRODUCTION 

volumes yielded only meagre results, and in most of these 
illusory references I found not a single fact worth recording. 
This comparatively prodigious number included gazeteers, 
encyclopedias, geographies, military histories, general his- 
tories. State and National reports, journals of legislative pro- 
ceedings, biographies, genealogies, reminiscences, travels, 
romances — in short, any and all books that I had thought 
calculated to shed even the faintest glimmer of light on the 
County's history, topographical features, etc. 

But, contrary to my expectations, in. many there appeared 
no manner of allusion to lyoudoun County. By this it will be 
seen that much time that might have been more advan- 
tageously employed was necessarily given to this form of 
fruitless research. 

That works of history and geography can be prepared in 
no other way, no person at all acquainted with the nature of 
such writings need be told. "As well might a traveler pre- 
sume to claim the fee-simple of all the country which he has 
surveyed, as a historian and geographer expect to preclude 
those who come after him from making a proper use of his 
labors. If the former writers have seen accurately and re- 
lated faithfully, the latter ought to have the resemblance of 
declaring the same facts, with that variety only which nature 
has enstamped upon the distinct elaborations of every individ- 
ual mind. . . . As works of this sort become multiplied, 
voluminous, and detailed, it becomes a duty to literature to 
abstract, abridge, and give, in synoptical views, the informa- 
tion that is spread through numerous volumes." 

Touching the matter gleaned from other books, I claim the 
sole merit of being a laborious and faithful compiler. In some 
instances, where the thoughts could not be better or more 
briefly expressed, the words of the original authors may 
have been used. 

Where this has been done I have, whenever possible, made, 
in my footnotes or text, frank and ample avowal of the 
sources from which I have obtained the particular information 
presented. This has not always been possible for the reason 



INTRODUCTION 1 1 

that I could not name, if disposed, all the sources from which 
I have sought and obtained information. Many of the ref- 
erences thus secured have undergone a process of sifting and, 
if I may coin the couplet, confirmatory handling which, at 
the last, rendered some unrecognizable and their origin 
untraceable. 

The only publication of a strictly local color unearthed 
during my research was Taylor's Memoir of Loudo7in, a small 
book, or more properly a pamphlet, of only 29 pages, dealing 
principally with the County's geology, geography, and cli- 
mate. It was written to accompany the map of Loudoun 
County, drawn by Yardle}^ Taylor, survej^or; and was pub- 
lished by Thomas Reynolds, of Leesburg, in 1853- 

I wish to refer specially to the grateful acknowledgment 
that is due Arthur Keith's Geology of the Catodijz Belt 
and Carter's and Lyman's Soil Survey of the Leesburg Area, 
two Government publications, published respectively by the 
United States Geological Survey and Department of Agricul- 
ture, and containing a fund of useful information relating 
to the geology, soils, and geography of about two-thirds of 
the area of Loudoun. Of course these works have been the 
sources to which I have chiefly repaired for information 
relating to the two first-named subjects. Without them the 
cost of this publication would have been considerably aug- 
mented. As it is I have been spared the expense and labor that 
would have attended an enforced personal investigation of the 
County's soils and geology. 

And now a tardy and, perhaps, needless word or two in 
revealment of the purpose of this volume. 

To rescue a valuable miscellany of facts and occurrences 
from an impending oblivion; to gather and fix certain ephem- 
eral incidents before they had passed out of remembrance; 
to render some account of the County's vast resources and 
capabilities; to trace its geography and analyze its soils and 
geology; to follow the tortuous windings of its numerous 
streams; to chronicle the multitudinous deeds of sacrifice and 
daring performed by her citizens and soldiery — such has been 
the purpose of this work, such its object and design. 



12 INTRODUCTION 

But the idea as originally evolved contemplated only a 
chronology of events from the establishment of the County to 
the present day. Not until the work was well under way 
was the matter appearing under the several descriptive heads 
supplemented. 

From start to finish this self-appointed task has been prose- 
cuted with conscientious zeal and persistency of purpose, 
although with frequent interruptions, and more often than 
not amid circumstances least favorable to literary composi- 
tion. At the same time my hands have been filled with 
laborious avocations of another kind. 

What the philosopher Johnson said of his great Dictionary 
and himself could as well be said of this humble volume and 
its author: 

"In this work, when it shall be found that much is omitted, 
let it not be forgotten that much likewise is performed; and 
though no book was ever spared out of tenderness to the 
author, and the world is little solicitous to know whence pro- 
ceeded the faults of that which it condemns; yet it may gratify 
curiosity to inform it, that the English Dictio7iary was written 
with little assistance of the learned, and without any patron- 
age of the great; not in the soft obscurities of retirement, or 
under the shelter of academick bowers, but amidst inconven- 
ience and distraction, in sickness and in sorrow." 

If further digression be allowable I might say that in the 
preparation of this work I have observed few of the restric- 
tive rules of literary sequence and have not infrequently gone 
beyond the prescribed limits of conventional diction. To these 
transgressions I make willing confession. I have striven to 
present these sketches in the most lucid and concise form 
compatible with readableness; to compress the greatest possi- 
ble amount of useful information into the smallest compass. 
Indeed, had I been competent, I doubt that I v*?ould have 
attempted a more elaborate rendition, or drawn more freely 
upon the language and the coloring of poetry and tte imagina- 
tion. I have therefore to apprehend that the average reader 



INTRODUCTION 15 

will find them too statistical and laconic, too much abbre- 
viated and void of detail. 

However, a disinterested historian I have not been, and 
should such a charge be preferred I shall look for speedy 
exculpation from the discerning mass of my readers. 

In this connection and before proceeding further I desire to 
say that my right to prosecute this work can not fairly be 
questioned; that a familiar treatment of the subject I have 
regarded as my inalienable prerogative. I was born in 
lyoudoun County, of parents who in turn could boast the same 
distinction, and, if not all, certainly the happiest days of my 
life were passed within those sacred precincts. I have viewed 
her housetops from every crowning eminence, her acres of un- 
matched grain, her Arcadian pastures and browsing herds, 
her sun-kissed hills and silvery, serpentine streams. I have 
known the broad, ample playgrounds of her stately old 
Academy, and shared in the wholesome, health-giving sports 
their breadth permitted. I have known certain of her astute 
schoolmasters and felt the full rigor of their discipline. Stern 
tutors they were, at times seemingly cruel, but what retro- 
spective mind will not now accord them unstinted praise and 
gratitude? Something more than the mere awakening and 
development of slumbering intellects was their province: raw, 
untamed spirits were given into their bands for a brief spell — 
brief when measured in after years — and were then sent forth 
to combat Life's problems with clean hearts, healthy minds, 
robust bodies, and characters that might remain unsullied 
though beset with every hellish device known to a sordid 
world. God bless the dominies of our boyhood — the veteran 
schoolmasters of old Loudoun! 

But to return to my theme. I have a distinct foresight of 
the views which some will entertain and express in reference 
to this work, though my least fears of criticism are from those 
whose experience and ability best qualif}^ them to judge. 

However, to the end that criticism may be disarmed even 
before pronouncement, the reader, before condemning any 
statements made in these sketches that do not agree with his 



14 INTRODUCTION 

preconceived opinions, is requested to examine all the facts in 
connection therewith. In so doing it is thought he will find 
these statements correct in the main. 

In such a variety of subjects there must of course be man)'' 
omissions, but I shall be greatly disappointed if actual errors 
are discovered. 

In substantiation of its accuracy and thoroughness I need 
only sa)' that the compilation of this work cost me three years 
of nocturnal application — the three most ambitious and dis- 
quieting years of the average life. During this period the 
entire book has been at least three times revv^ritten. 

In the best form of which I am capable the fruits of these 
protracted labors are now committed to the candid and, it is 
hoped, kindly judgment of the people of Loudoun County. 

James W. Head. 
"Arcadia," 

Barcroft, Va., Feb. /, igog. 



S^srrt^jttu?. 



SITUATION. 

lyoudoun County lies at the northern extremity of " Pied- 
mont Virginia,"* forming the apex of one of the most pictur- 
esquely diversified regions on the American continent. Broad 
plains, numerous groups and ranges of hills and forest-clad 
mountains, deep river gorges, and valleys of practically every 
conceivable form are strewn to the point of prodigality over 
this vast undulatory area. 

The particular geographic location of Loudoun has been 
most accurately reckoned by Yardley Taylor, who in 1853 
made a governmental survey of the county. He placed it 
'between the latitudes of 38° 52><" and 39° 21" north 
latitude, making 28>^" of latitude, or 33 statute miles, and 
between 20" and Sy/2" of longitude west from Washington, 
being 33^2" of longitude, or very near 35 statute miles." 

Loudoun was originally a parr, of the six million acres 
which, in I66I, were granted by Charles II, King of England, 
to Lord Hopton, Earl of St. Albans, Lord Culpeper, Lord 
Berkeley, Sir William Morton, Sir Dudley Wyatt, and Thomas 
Culpeper. All the territory lying between the Rappahannock 

* "Piedmont" means "foot of the mountain." "Piedmont Virginia," 
with a length of 250 miles and an average width of about 25 miles, 
and varying m altitude from 300 to 1,200 feet, lies just east of the Blue 
Ridge Mountains, and comprises the counties oi Loudoun, Fauquier, 
Culpeper, Rappahannock, Madison, Greene, Orange, Albemarle, Nelson, 
Amherst, 'Be(lford, Franklin, Henry, and Patrick. It is a poriion of the 
belt that begins in New England and stretches thence southward to 
Georgia and Alabama. 

(15) 



16 HISTORY OF 

and Potomac rivers to their sources was included in this 
grant, afterwards known as the "Fairfax Patent," and still 
later as the "Northern Neck of Virginia." 

"The only conditions attached to the conveyance of this 
domain, the equivalent of a principality, were that one-fifth 
of all the gold and one-tenth of all the silver discovered 
within its limits should be reserved for the royal use, and 
that a nominal rent of a few pounds sterling should be paid 
into the treasury at Jamestown each year. In 1669 the letters 
patent were surrendered by the existing holders and in their 
stead new ones were issued. . . . The terms of these 
letters required that the whole area included in this magnifi- 
cent gift should be planted and inhabited by the end of 
twenty-one years, but in 1688 this provision was revoked by 
the King as imposing an impracticable condition."* 

The patentees, some years afterward, sold the grant to the 
second lyord Culpeper, to whom it was confirmed by letters 
patent of King James II, in 1688. From Culpeper the rights 
and privileges conferred by the original grant descended 
through his daughter, Catherine, to her son, Lord Thomas 
Fairfax, Baron of Cameron — a princely heritage for a j'oung 
man of 20 years. 

BOUNDARIES. 

The original boundaries of Loudoun County were changed 
by the following act of the General Assembly, passed Jan- 
uary 3, 1798, and entitled "An Act for adding part of the 
county of Loudoun to the county of Fairfax, and altering 
the place of holding courts in Fairfax County." 

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly , That all that part of the county 
of Loudoun lying between the lower boundary thereof, and a line to be 
drawn from the mouth of Sugar Land run, to Carter's mill, on Bull run, 
shall be, and is hereby added to and made part of the county of Fairfax: 
Provided ahvays. That it shall be laM'ful for the sheriff of the said county 
of Loudoun to collect and make distress for any public dues or officers 
fees, which shall remain unpaid hy the inhabitants of that part of the 

*Bruce's Economic History of Virginia. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 17 

said county hereby added to the county of Fairfax, and shall be account- 
able for the same in like manner as if this act had not been made. 

2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for a majority of 
the acting justices of the peace for the said county of Fairfax, together 
with the justices of the county of Loudoun included within the part 
thus added to the said county of Fairfax, and they are hereby required 
at a court to be held in the mouth of April or May next, to fix on a 
place for holding courts therein at or as near the center thereof (having 
regard to that part of the county of Loudoun hereby added to the said 
county of Fairfax) as the situation and convenience will admit of; and 
thenceforth proceed to erect the necessary public buildings at such 
place, and until such buildings be completed, to appoint any place for 
holding courts as they shall think proper. 

3. This act shall commence and be in force from and after the pass- 
ing thereof. 

As at present bounded, the old channel at the mouth of 
Sugar lyand run, at lyOwe's Island,* is "the commencement 
of the line that separates lyOudoun from Fairfax County and 
runs directly across the country to a point on the Bull Run 
branch of Occoquan River, about three eighths of a mile 
above Sudley Springs, in Prince William County." The Bull 
Run then forms the boundary between L,oudoun and Prince 
William to its highest spring head in the Bull Run mountain, 
just below the Cool Spring Gap. The line then extends to 
the summit of the mountain, where the counties of Fauquier 
and Prince William corner. From the summit of this moun- 
tain, a direct line to a pointf on the Blue Ridge, at Ashby's 

*"What is called Lowe's Island, at the mouth of Sugarland Run, was 
formerly an island, and made so by that run separating and part of it 
passing into the river by the present channel, while a part of it entered 
the river by what is now called the old channel. This old channel is 
now partially filled up, and only receives the waters of Sugarland Run 
in times of freshets. Occasionally when there is high water in the river 
the waters pass up the present channel of the run to the old channel, 
and then follow that to the river again.* This old channel enters the 
river immediately west of the primordial range of rocks, that impinge 
so closely upon the river from here to Georgetown, forming as they do 
that series of falls knoM'n as Seneca Falls, the Great, and the Little 
Falls, making altogether a fall of 188 feet in less than 20 miles." — 
Memoir of Loudoun. 

tDesignated in an old record as a "double-bodied poplar tree stand- 
ing in or near the middle of the thoroughfare of Ashby's Gap on the 
top of the Blue Ridge." It succumbed to the ravages of time and fire 
while this work was in course of preparation. 



18 HISTORY OF 

Gap, marks the boundary between Loudoun and Fauquier 
counties. A devious line, which follows in part the crests of 
the Blue Ridge until reaching the Potomac below Harpers 
Ferry, separates Loudoun from Clarke County, Virginia, and 
Jefferson County, West Virginia, on her western border. 
The Potomac then becomes the dividing line between 
Loudoun County, and Frederick and Montgomery counties, 
Maryland; "and that State, claiming the whole of the river, 
exercises jurisdiction over the islands as well as the river." 

This completes an outline of 109 miles, viz: 19 miles in 
company with Fairfax, 10 with Prince William, 17 with 
Fauquier, 26 with Clarke and Jefferson, and 3 7 miles along 
the Potomac. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Loudoun County is preeminently a diversified region; its 
surface bearing many marked peculiarities, many grand dis- 
tinctive features. The broken ranges of hills and mountains, 
abounding in Piedmont Virginia, here present themselves in 
softly rounded outline, gradually sinking down into the 
plains, giving great diversit}- and picturesqueness to the land- 
scape. They are remarkable for their parallelism, regularity, 
rectilineal direction and evenness of outline, and constitute 
what is by far the most conspicuous feature in the topography 
of Loudoun. Neither snow-capped nor barren, they are clothed 
with vegetation from base to summit and afford fine range 
and pasturage for sheep and cattle. 

The main valleys are longitudinal and those running trans- 
versely few and comparative!}' unimportant. 

The far-famed Loudoun valley, reposing peacefully between 
the Blue Ridge and Catoctin mountains, presents all the many 
varied topographic aspects peculiar to a territory abounding 
in foothills. 

The Blue Ridge, the southeasternmost range of the Alle- 
ghanies or Appalachian System presents here that uniformity 
and general appearance which characterizes it throughout the 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 19 

State, having gaps or depressions every eight or ten miles, 
through which the public roads pass. The most important of 
these are the Potomac Gap at 500 feet and Snickers and Ashby 's 
Gap, both at 1,100 feet. The altitude of this range in Lou- 
doun varies from 1,000 to 1,600 feet above tide-water, and 
from 300 to 900 feet above the adjacent country. It falls from 
1,100 to 1,000 feet in 4 miles south of the river, and then, 
rising sharply to 1,600 feet, continues at the higher series of 
elevations. The Blue Ridge borders the county on the west, 
its course being about south southwest, or nearly parallel 
with the Atlantic Coast-line, and divides Loudoun from 
Clarke County, Virginia, and Jefferson County, West Virginia, 
the line running along the summit. 

Of nearly equal height and similar features are the Short 
Hills, another range commencing at the Potomac River about 
four miles below Harpers Ferry and extending parallel to the 
Blue Ridge, at a distance of nearly four miles from summit to 
summit, for about twelve miles into the County, where it is 
broken bj- a branch of Catoctin Creek. Beyond this stream 
it immediately rises again and extends about three miles 
further, at which point it abruptly terminates. 

A third range, called "Catoctin Mountain," nas its incep- 
tion in Pennsylvania, traverses Maryland, is interrupted by 
the Potomac, reappears in Virginia at the river margin, oppo- 
site Point of Rocks, and extends through Loudoun County 
for a distance of twenty or more miles, when it is again 
interrupted. 

Elevations on Catoctin Mountain progressively diminish 
southward from the Potomac River to Aldie, although the rocks 
remain the same, and the Tertiary drainage, which might be 
supposed to determine their elevations, becomes less effecti-v e 
in that direction. 

Probably this mountain does not exceed an average of more 
than 300 feet above the surrounding country, though at 
some stages it may attain an altitude of 700 feet. Rising 
near the Potomac into one of its highest peaks, in the same 
range it becomes alternately depressed and elevated, until 



20 HISTORY OF 

reaching the point of its divergence in the neighborhood of 
Waterford. There it assumes the appearance of an ele\ ated 
and hilly region, deeply indented by the myriad streams that 
rise in its bosom. 

On reaching the Leesburg and Snicker's Gap Turnpike 
road, a distance of twelve miles, it expands to three miles in 
width and continues much the same until broken by Goose 
Creek and its tributary, the North Fork, when it gradually 
loses itself in the hills of Goose Creek and Little River, before 
reaching the Ashby's Gap Turnpike. 

The Catoctin range throughout Loudoun pursues a course 
parallel to the Blue Ridge, the two forming an intermediate 
valley or base- level plain, ranging in width from 8 to 12 miles, 
and in altitude from 350 to 730 feet above sea level. Allusion 
to the physiography of this valley — so called only by reason 
of its relation to the mountains on either side — has been made 
elsewhere in this department. 

Immediately south of Aldie, on Little River, near the point 
of interruption of Catoctin Mountain, another range com- 
mences and extends into Fauquier County. It is known as 
"Bull Run Mountain," but might rightly be considered an 
indirect continuation of the elevation of the Catoctin, its 
course and some of its features corresponding very nearly 
with that mountain save only that it is higher than anj^ of the 
ranges of the latter, excepting the western. 

East of the Catoctin the tumultuous continuity of moun- 
tains subsides into gentle undulations, an almost unbroken 
succession of sloping elevations and depressions presenting an 
as yet unimpaired variety and charm of landscape. Ho\\ ever, 
on the extreme eastern edge of this section, level stretches of 
considerable extent are a conspicuous feature of the topog- 
raphy. 

Three or four detached hills, rising to an elevation of 1 
or 200 feet above the adjacent country, are the only ones of 
consequence met with in this section. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 21 

COMPARATIVE ALTITUDES. 

The hilly character of Loudoun is clearly shown by the 
following exhibit of the elevation of points and places above 
tidewater. The variations of altitude noted in this schedule 
are based upon conflicting estimates and distinct measure- 
ments made at two or more points within a given circumfer- 
ence and slightly removed one from the other. 

Feet. 

Sterling 4l5 

Ashburn 320 

Leesburg 321 to 337 

Clarke's Gap 578 to 634 

Hamilton 454 to 521 

Purcellville 546 to 553 

Round Hill 558 

Bluemont 680 to 730 

Snicker's Gap 1 ,085 

Neersville 626 

Hillsborough 550 

Waterford 36O 

Mount Gilead 600 

Oatlands 270 

lyittle River, near Aldie 299 

Middleburg 48O 

Potomac River, near Seneca Dam 188 

Potomac River, at Point of Rocks 200 

Potomac River, at Harper's Ferry 246 

The whole of the county east of the Catoctin Mountain 
varies from 200 to 350 feet. The eastern base of the Blue 
Ridge has an elevation of about 730 feet, and the highest 
peak of that range in Loudoun rises 1 ,600 feet above tide- water. 
The Short Hills have an approximate altitude of 1,000 feet, 
while that of the Catoctin Mountain varies from 30O to 700 
feet. The valley between the Blue Ridge and Catoctin Moun- 
tains varies from 350 to 730 feet in elevation. 



22 HISTORY OF 

From many vantage points along the Blue Ridge may be 
obtained magnificent views of both the Loudoun and Shenan- 
doah valleys. The eye travels entirely across the fertile 
expanse of the latter to where, in the far distance, the Alle- 
ghany and North Mountains rear their wooded crests. A few 
of the summits offer even more extensive prospects. From 
some nearly all of Loudoun, with a considerable area of Fair- 
fax and Fauquier, is in full view. Other more distant areas 
within visionary range are portions of Prince William, Rap- 
pahannock, and Culpeper counties, in Virginia, Frederick and 
Montgomery counties, in Maryland, and even some of Prince 
George County, east of Washington City. Westward, the 
view embraces Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren 
counties, in Virginia, Berkeley and Jefferson counties, in West 
Virginia, Washington County, in Maryland, and some of the 
mountain summits of Pennsylvania. 



DRAINAGE. 

The drainage of Loudoun can be divided into two provinces. 
One is the Potomac province, which is drained by a system of 
small tributaries of that stream. Its elevations are quite uni- 
form and are referable to that master stream, whose grade is 
largely determined by its great basin beyond the "Catoctin 
belt. ' ' The second province is the region drained by smaller 
streams, chief of which is Goose Creek, In this province the 
drainage lines head entirely withinthe "Catoctin belt, ' ' and the 
elevations are variable according to the constitution of the 
rocks in the belt itself. 

The tributaries by which the drainage of the two provinces 
is effected are Catoctin Creek, North Fork Catoctin Creek, 
South Fork Catoctin Creek, Little River, North Fork Goose 
Creek, Beaver-dam Creek, Piney Run, Jeffries Branch, Crom- 
wells Run, Hungry Run, Bull Run, Sycoline Creek, Tuscarora 
Creek, Horse Pen Run, Broad Run, Sugarland Run, Elk Lick, 
Limestone Branch, and as many lesser streams. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 23 

The general slope of the county being to the northeast, the 
waters, for the most part, naturally follow the same course, 
a? may be readily perceived by reference to maps of the sec- 
tion. The streams that rise in the Blue Ridge mostly flow to 
the eastward until they approach the Catoctin Mountain, 
where they are then deflected more toward either the north 
or south to pass that range by the Northwest Fork and Goose 
Creek, or by the Catoctin Creek which falls into the Potomac 
above Point of Rocks. East of Catoctin Mountain the 
streams pursue a more or less direct northern course. 

Goose Creek, a right-hand branch of the Potomac River, 
is a considerable stream, pursuing a course of about fifty 
miles from its source in Fauquier County to its junction with 
the Potomac four miles northeast of lycesburg. It once bore 
the Indian name Goho7tgarestaw , meaning " River of Swans." 
Flowing northeastward across Loudoun, it receives many 
smaller streams until passing the first range of Catoctin 
Mountain, when it claims a larger tributary, the North Fork. 
Goose Creek represents subsequent drainage dependent on 
the syncline of the Blue Ridge and dating back at least as far as 
Cretaceous time. Its length in Loudoun is about thirty miles, 
and it has a fall of one hundred feet in the last twenty-two 
miles of its course. It drains nearly one-half the county and 
is about sixty yards wide at its mouth. 

Catoctin Creek is very crooked ; its basin does not exceed 
twelve miles as the crow flies, and includes the whole width 
of the valley between the mountains except a small portion 
in the northeastern angle of the County. Yet its entire course, 
measuring its meanders, would exceed thirty-five miles. It 
has a fall of one hundred and eight^^ feet in the last eighteen 
miles of its course, and is about twenty yards wide near its 
mouth. 

The Northwest Fork rises in the Blue Ridge and flows 
southeastward, mingling its waters with the Beaver Dam, 
coming from the southwest, immediately above Catoctin 
Mountain, where their united waters pass through a narrow 
valley to Goose Creek. 



24 HISTORY OF 

L,ittle River, a small affluent of Goose Creek, rises in Fau- 
quier County west of Bull Run mountain and enters Loudon 
a few miles southwestward of Aldie. It pursues a northern 
and northeastern course until it has passed that town, turning 
then more to the northward and falling into Goose Creek. 
Before the Civil War it was rendered navigable from its 
mouth to Aldie by means of dams. 

Broad Run, the next stream of consequence east of Goose 
Creek, rises in Prince William County and pursues a northern 
course, with some meanderings through Loudoun. It flows 
into the Potomac about four miles below the mouth of Goose 
Creek. 

Sugarland Run, a still smaller stream, rises partly in 
Loudoun, though itscourse is chiefly through Fairfax County, 
and empties into the Potomac at the northeastern angle of the 
County. 

In its southeastern angle several streams rise and pursue a 
southern and southeastern course, and constitute some of the 
upper branches of Occoquan River. 

Perhaps no county in the State is better watered for all 
purposes, except manufacturing in times of drought. Many 
of the farms might be divided into fields of ten acres each 
and, in ordinary seasons, would have water in each of them. 

There are several mineral springs in the county of the class 
called chalybeate, some of which contain valuable medicinal 
properties, and other springs and wells that are affected with 
lime. Indeed, in almost every part of the County, there is an 
exhaustless supply of the purest spring water. This is due, 
in great part, to the porosity of the soil which allows the 
water to pass freely into the earth, and the slaty character of 
the rocks which favors its descent into the bowels of the hills, 
from whence it finds its way to the surface, at their base, in 
numberless small springs. The purity of these waters is bor- 
rowed from the silicious quality of the soil. 

The largest spring of any class in the county is Big Spring, a 
comparatively broad expanse of water of unsurpassed quality, 
bordering the Leesburg and Point of Rocks turnpike, about 
two miles north of Leesburg. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 25 

The springs, as has been stated, are generally small and 
very numerous, and many of them are unfailing, though lia- 
ble to be affected by drought. In such cases, by absorption 
and evaporation, the small streams are frequently exhausted 
before uniting and often render the larger ones too light for 
manufacturing purposes. Nevertheless, water power is abun- 
dant; the county's diversified elevation giving considerable 
fall to its water courses, and many sites are occupied. 



CLIMATE. 

• Because responsible statistical data is usually accorded un- 
qualified credence, it is without undue hesitation that the 
following bit of astonishing information, gleaned from a 
reliable source, is here set down as positive proof of the ex- 
cellence of Loudoun's climate: "It (Leesburg) is located in 
a section the healthiest in the world, as proven by statistics 
which place the death rate at 8^ per 1,000, the very lowest 
in the table of mortality gathered from all parts of the hab- 
itable globe." 

The climate oi Loudoun, like that of most other localities, 
is governed mainly by the direction of the prevailing winds, 
and, to a limited extent, is influenced by the county's diversi- 
fied physical features. 

Though the rainfall is abundant, amounting annually to 
forty or fifty inches, ordinarily the air is dry and salubrious. 
This ample precipitation is usually well distributed through- 
out the growing season and is rarely insuflacient or excessive. 
The summer rainfall comes largely in the form of local 
showers, scarcely ever attended by hail. Loudoun streams 
for the most part are pure and rapid, and there appears to be 
no local cause to generate malaria. 

In common with the rest of Virginia the climate of Loudoun 
corresponds very nearly with that of Cashmere and the best 
parts of China. The mean annual temperature is 50° to 55°. 

Loudoun winters are not of long duration and are seldom 

45—3 



26 HISTORY OF 

marked by protracted severity. Snow does not cover the 
ground for any considerable period and the number of bright 
sunny days during these seasons is unusually large. In their 
extremes of cold they are less rigorous than the average 
winters of sections farther north or even of western localities 
of the same latitude. Consequently the growing season here 
is much more extended than in either of those sections. The 
prevailing winds in winter are from the north and west, and 
from these the mountains afford partial protection. 

The seasons are somewhat earlier even than in the Shenan- 
doah Valley, just over the western border of lyoudoun, and 
the farmers here plant and harvest their crops from one week 
to ten days earlier than the farmers of that region. 

Loudoun summers, as a rule, are long and agreeably cool, 
while occasional periods of extreme heat are not more oppres- 
sive than in many portions of the North. The mountains of 
Loudoun have a delightful summer climate coupled with 
inspiring scenery, and are well known as the resort of 
hundreds seeking rest, recreation, or the restoration of health. 
This region, owing to its low humidity, has little dew at 
night, and accordingly has been found especially beneficial 
for consumptives and those afflicted with pulmonary diseases. 
The genial southwest trade winds, blowing through the long 
parallel valleys, impart to them and the enclosing mountains 
moisture borne from the far away Gulf of Mexico. 



GEOLOGY. 

The geology of more than half the area of Loudoun County 
has received thorough and intelligent treatment at the hands 
of Arthur Keith in his most excellent work entitled "'Geology 
of the Catodin Belt,'" authorized and published by the United 
States Geological Survey.* 

* Credit for many important disclosures and much of the detail ap- 
pearing in this department is unreservedly accorded Mr. Keith and his 
assistants. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 27 

Mr. Keith's analysis covered the whole of Bull Run Moun- 
tain, the Catoctin in its course through Virginia and Mary- 
land to its termination in southern Pennsylvania, the Blue 
Ridge and South Mountain for a corresponding distance, all 
intermediate ridges and valleys and contiguous territory 
lying outside this zone and paralleling the two flanking 
ranges.* 

In this important work the Catoctin Belt is shown to be an 
epitome of the leading events of geologic history in the Ap- 
palachian region. It contains the earliest formations whose 
original character can be certified; it contains almost the 
latest known formations; and the record is unusually full, 
with the exception of the later Paleozoic rocks. Its structures 
embrace nearly every known type of deformation. It furnishes 
examples of every process of erosion, of topograph}' derived 
from rocks of nearly every variety of composition, and of 
topography derived from all types of structure except the flat 
plateau type. In the recurrence of its main geographic 
features from pre-Cambrian time till the present day it fur- 
nishes a remarkable and unique example of the permanence 
of continental form. 

With certain qualifications, a summary of the leading events 
that have left their impress on the region is as follows: 

1. Surface eruption of diabase. 

2. Injection of granite. 

3. Erosion. 

4. Surface eruption of quartz-porphyry, rhyolite, and 
andesite. 

5. Surface eruption of diabase. 

6. Erosion. 

7. Submergence, deposition of Cambrian formations; slight 
oscillations during their deposition; reduction of land to base- 
level. 



*The name " Catoctin Belt " is applied to this region because it is 
separated by Catoctin Mountain from the Piedmont plain as a geo- 
graphic unit more distinctly than in any other area, and because its 
geological unity is completed by Catoctin more fully and compactly 
than elsewhere. 



28 HISTORY OP 

8. Eastward tilting and deposition of Martinsburg shale; 
oscillations during later Paleozoic time. 

9. Uplift, post-Carboniferous deformation and erosion. 

10. Depression and Newark deposition; diabase intrusion. 

11. Uplift, Newark deformation; and erosion to Catoctiu 
baselevel. 

12. Depression and deposition of Potomac, Magothy, and 
Severn. 

13. Uplift south westward and erosion to baselevel. 

14. Uplift, warping and degradation to Tertiarj^ baselevel; 
deposition of Pamunkey and Chesapeake. 

15. Depression and deposition of Lafayette. 

16. Uplift and erosion to lower Tertiary baselevel. 

17. Uplift, warping and erosion to Pleistocene baselevel; 
deposition of high-level Columbia. 

18. Uplift and erosion to lower Pleistocene baselevel; dep- 
osition of low-level Columbia. 

19. Uplift and present erosion. 

Along the Coastal plain reduction to baselevel was followed 
b}' depression and deposition of Lafaj'ette gravels; elevation 
followed and erosion of minor baselevels; second depression 
followed and deposition of Columbia gravels; again comes 
elevation and excavation of narrow valleys; then depression 
and deposition of low-level Columbia; last, elevation and 
channeling, which is proceeding at present. Along the 
Catoctin Belt denudation to baselevel was folio wed by depres- 
sion and deposition of gravels; elevation followed and erosion 
of minor baselevels among the softer rocks; second depression 
followed, with possible gravel deposits; elevation came next 
with excavation of broad bottoms; last, elevation and chan- 
neling, at present in progress. 

The general structure of the Catoctin Belt is anticlinal. 
On its core appear the oldest rocks; on its borders, t£ose of 
medium age; and in adjacent provinces the j'ounger rocks. 
In the location of its system of faulting, also, it faithfully 
follows the Appalachian law that faults lie upon the steep side 
of anticlines. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 29 

After the initial location of the folds along these lines, com- 
pression and deformation continued. Yielding took place in 
the different rocks according to their constitution. 

Into this system of folds the drainage lines carved their 
way. On the anticlines were developed the chief streams, and 
the synclines were left till the last. The initial tendency to 
synclinal ridges was obviated in places by the weakness of 
the rocks situated in the synclines, but even then the tendency 
to retain elevation is apt to cause low ridges. The drainage 
of the belt as a whole is anticlinal to a marked degree, for 
the three main synclinal lines are lines of great elevation, and 
the anticlines are invariably valleys. 

In order of solubility the rocks of the Catoctin Belt, within 
the limits of Loudon County, to which section all subsequent 
geologic data will be confined, stand as follows: 

1. Newark limestone conglomerate; calcareous. 

2. Newark sandstone and shale; calcareous and felds- 
pathic. 

3. Newark diabase; feldspathic. 

4. Granite; feldspathic. 

5. Loudoun formation; feldspathic. 

6. Granite and schist; feldspathic. 

7. Catoctin schist; epidotic and feldspathic. 

8. Weverton sandstone; siliceous. 

All of these formations are in places reduced to baselevel. 
The first three invariably are, unless protected by a harder 
rock; the next three usually are; the Catoctin schist only in 
small parts of its area; the Weverton only along a small part 
of Catoctin Mountain. 

The Catoctin Belt itself may be described as a broad area of 
igneous rocks bordered by two lines of Lower Cambrian 
sandstones and slates. Over the surface of the igneous rocks 
are scattered occasional outliers of the Lower Cambrian slate; 
but far the greater part of the surface of the belt is covered 
by the igneous rocks. The belt as a whole may be regarded 
as an anticline, the igneous rocks constituting the core, the 



30 HISTORY OF 

Lower Cambrian the flanks, and the Silurian and Newark the 
adjoining zones. The outcrops of the Lower Cambrian rocks 
are in synclines, as a rule, and are complicated by many 
faults. The igneous rocks have also been much folded and 
crumpled, but on account of their lack of distinctive beds the 
details of folds can not well be traced among them. 

They are the oldest rocks in the Catoctin Belt and occupy 
most of its area. They are also prominent from their unusual 
character and rarity. 

An important class of rocks occurring in the Catoctin Belt 
is the sedimentary series. It is all included in the Cambrian 
period and consists of limestone, shale, sandstone and con- 
glomerate. The two border zones of the Catoctin Belt, how- 
ever, contain also rocks of the Silurian and Juratrias periods. 
In general, the sediments are sandy and calcareous in the 
Juratrias area, and sandy in the Catoctin Belt. They have 
been the theme of considerable literature, owing to their great 
extent and prominence in the topography. 

Gra7iite. 

The granite in the southern portion of the County is very 
important in point of extent, almost as much so as the diabase 
in the same section. 

The areas of granite are, as a rule, long narrow belts, and 
vary greatly in width. 

The mineralogical composition of the granite is quite con- 
stant over large areas. Six varieties can be distinguished, 
however, each with a considerable areal extent. The essential 
constituents are quartz, orthoclase and plagioclase, and by 
the addition to these of biotite, garnet, epidote, blue quartz, 
and hornblende, five types are formed. All these types are 
holocrystalline, and range in texture from coarse granite 
with augen an inch long down to a fine epidote granite with 
scarcely visible crystals. 

Loudo2in Formation. 

Among the various Cambrian formations of the Catoctin 
Belt there are wide dijfferences in uniformity and composition. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 3^ 

In none is it more manifest than in the first or Loudoun 
formation. This was theoretically to be expected, for first 
deposits upon a crystalline foundation represent great changes 
and transition periods of adjustment among new currents and 
sources of supply. The Loudoun formation, indeed, runs the 
whole gamut of sedimentary possibilities, and that within 
very short geographical limits. Five miles northwest of 
Aldie the Loudoun formation comprises limestone, slate, sandy 
slate, sandstone, and conglomerate with pebbles as large as 
hickory nuts. These amount in thickness to fully 800 feet, 
while less than three miles to the east the entire form.ation is 
represented by eight or ten feet of black slate. 

The name of the Loudoun formation is given on account of 
the frequent occurrence of all its variations in Loudoun 
County. Throughout the entire extent of the Catoctin Belt, 
and especially through its central portions, the Loudoun 
formation has frequent beds of sandstone, conglomerate, and 
limestone. The limestones occur as lenses along two lines; 
one immediately west of Catoctin Mountain, the other three 
or four miles east of the Blue Ridge. Along the western 
range the limestone lenses extend only to the Potomac. There 
they are shown on both sides of the river, and have been 
worked in either place for agricultural lime. Only the refuse 
of the limestone now remains, but the outcrops have been 
extant until recent years. Along the eastern line the lime- 
stone lenses extend across the Potomac and into Maryland 
for about one mile, and it is along this belt that they are 
the most persistent and valuable. As a rule they are altered 
from limestone into marble, and at one point they have been 
worked for commercial purposes. Nearly every outcrop has 
been opened, however, for agricultural lime. Where Goose 
Creek crosses this belt a quarry has been opened and good 
marble taken out, but want of transportation facilities has 
prevented any considerable development. The relation be- 
tween marble and schist is very perfectly shown at an old 
quarry west of Leesburg. The marble occupies two beds in 
schist, and between the two rocks there is gradation of com- 
position. In none of the western belts are the calcareous 



32 HISTORY OF 

beds recrystallized into marbles, but all retain their original 
character of blue and dove-colored limestone. None of them, 
however, is of great thickness and none of great linear extent. 

The Loudoun formation, of course, followed a period of 
erosion of the Catoctin Belt, since it is the first subaqueous 
deposit. It is especially developed with respect to thickness 
and coarseness to the v/est of Catoctin Mountain. Elsewhere 
the outcrops are almost entirely black slate. This is true 
along the Blue Ridge, through almost its entire length, and 
also through the entire length of the Catoctin Mountain. On 
the latter range it is doubtful if this formation exceeds 200 
feet in thickness at any point. Along the Blue Ridge it may, 
and probably does, in places, reach 500 feet in thickness. 

The distribution of the coarse varieties coincides closely 
with the areas of greatest thickness and also with the syn- 
clines in which no Weverton sandstone appears. The con- 
glomerates of the l/oudoun formation are composed of epidotic 
schist, andesite, quartz, granite, epidote, and jasper pebbles 
embedded in a matrix of black slate and are very limited in 
extent. 

Wevei'ton Sandsto7ie. 

The formation next succeeding the lyoudoun formation is the 
Weverton sandstone. It is so named on account of its promi- 
nent outcrops in South Mountain, near Weverton, Maryland, 
and consists entirely of siliceous fragments, mainly quartz 
and feldspar. Its texture varies from a very fine, pure sand- 
stone to a moderately coarse conglomerate, but, in general, 
it is a sandstone. As a whole, its color is white and varies 
but little; the coarse beds have a grayish color in most places. 
Frequent bands and streaks of bluish black and black are 
added to the white sandstones, especially along the southern 
portion of the Blue Ridge. The appearance of the rock is 
not modified by the amount of feldspar which it contains. 

From the distribution of these various fragments, incon- 
spicuous as they are, considerable can be deduced in regard 
to the environment of the Weverton sandstone. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 33 

The submergence of the Catoctin Belt was practically com- 
plete, because the Weverton sandstone nowhere touches the 
crystalline rocks. Perhaps it were better stated that sub- 
mergence was complete in the basins in which Weverton 
sandstone now appears. Beyond these basins, however, it is 
questionable if the submergence was complete, because in 
the Weverton sandstone itself are numerous fragments which 
could have been derived only from the granite masses. These 
fragments consist of blue quartz, white quartz, and feldspar. 
The blue quartz fragments are confined almost exclusively to 
the outcrops of the Weverton sandstone in the Blue Ridge 
south of the Potomac, and are rarely found on Catoctin. 

The general grouping of the lyoudoun formation into two 
classes of deposit (1), the fine slates associated with the 
Weverton sandstone, and (2), the course sandstones occur- 
ring in deep synclines with no Weverton, raises the question 
of the unity of that formation. The evidence on this point 
is manifold and apparently conclusive. The general compo- 
sition of the two is the same — i. e., beds of feldspathic, sili- 
ceous material derived from crystalline rocks. They are 
similarly metamorphosed in different localities. The upper 
parts of the thicker series are slates identical in appearance 
with the slates under the Weverton, which presumably rep- 
resent the upper Loudoun. 

A marked change in the thickness of the Weverton sand- 
stone occurs along Catoctin Mountain, the formation dimin- 
ishing from 1,000 to 200 feet in a few miles. This plainly 
indicates shore conditions, and the nature of the accompany- 
ing change of constituent material locates the direction of the 
shore. This change is a decrease of the feldspar amounting 
to elimination at the Potomac. As the feldspar, which is 
granular at the shore, is soon reduced to fine clay and washed 
away, the direction of its disappearance is the direction of 
deep water. Thus the constitution and thickness of the 
Weverton sandstone unite in showing the existence of land 
not far northeast of Catoctin Mountain during Weverton 
deposition. 



34 HISTORY OF 

Aside from this marked change in thickness, none of un- 
usual extent appears in the Weverton sandstone over the 
remainder of the Catoctin Belt. While this is partly due to 
lack of complete sections, yet such as are complete show a 
substantial uniformity. The sections of the Blue Ridge out- 
crops range around 500 feet, and those of the Catoctin line 
are in the vicinity of 3OO. This permanent difference in thick- 
ness along the two lines can be attributed to an eastward 
thinning of the formation, thus, however, implying a shore 
to the west of the Blue Ridge line. It can also be attributed 
to the existence of a barrier between the two, and this agrees 
with the deductions from the constituent fragments. 

Newark System. 

An epoch of which a sedimentary record remains in the 
region of the Catoctin Belt is one of submergence and deposition , 
the Newark or Juratrias. The formation, though developed in 
the Piedmont plain, bears upon the history of the Catoctin 
Belt by throwing light on the periods of degradation, deposi- 
tion, igneous injection, and deformation that have involved 
them both. 

At the Potomac River it is about 4 miles in width, at the 
latitude of Leesburg about 10 miles in width, and thence it 
spreads towards the east until its maximum width is, perhaps, 
15 miles. The area of the Newark formation is, of course, 
a feature of erosion, as far as its present form is concerned. 
In regard to its former extent little can be said, except what 
can be deduced from the materials of the formation itself. 
Three miles southeast of Aldie and the end of Bull Run 
Mountain a ridge of Newark sandstone rises to 500 feet. The 
same ridge at its northern end, near Goose Creek, attains 500 
feet and carries a gravel cap. One mile south of the Potomac 
River a granite ridge rises from the soluble Newark rocks to 
the same elevation. 

As a whole the formation is a large body of red calcareous 
and argillaceous sandstone and shale. Into this, along the 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 35 

northern portion of the Catoctin Belt, are intercalated con- 
siderable wedges or lenses of limestone conglomerate. At 
many places also gray feldspathic sandstones and basal con- 
glomerates appear. 

The limestone conglomerate is best developed from the 
Potomac to I^eesburg, and from that region southward rapidly 
diminishes until it is barely represented at the south end of 
Catoctin Mountain. 

The conglomerate is made up of pebbles of limestone of 
varying sizes, reaching in some cases a foot in diameter, but, 
as a rule, averaging about 2 or 3 inches. The pebbles are 
usually well rounded, but sometimes show considerable 
angles. The pebbles of limestone range in color from gray to 
blue and dark blue, and occasionally pebbles of a fine white 
marble are seen; with rare exceptions also pebbles of Catoctin 
schist and quartz occur. They are embedded in a red cal- 
careous matrix, sometimes with a slight admixture of sand. 
As a rule the entire mass is calcareous. 

The conglomerate occurs, as has been said, in lenses or 
wedges in the sandstone ranging from 1 foot to 500 feet in 
thickness, or possibly even greater. They disappear through 
complete replacement by sandstone at the same horizon. The 
wedge may thin out to a feather edge or may be bodily re- 
placed upon its strike by sandstone; one method is perhaps 
as common as the other. The arrangement of the wedges is 
very instructive indeed. The general strike of the Nev^^ark 
rocks is a little to the west of north, while the strike of the 
Catoctin Belt is a little to the east of north. The two series, 
therefore, if extended, would cross each other at an angle of 
20 to 30 degrees. The conglomerate wedges are collected 
along the west side of the Newark Belt and in contact usually 
with the Weverton sandstone. The thick ends of the wedges 
along the line of contact usually touch each other. Going 
south by east the proportion of the sandstone increases with 
rapid extermination of the conglomerate. The thin ends of 
the wedges, therefore, resemble a series of spines projecting 
outward from the Catoctin Belt. 



36 HISTORY OF 

The result of weathering upon the conglomerate is a very- 
uneven and rugged series of outcrops projecting above the 
rolling surface of the soil. 

The ledges show little definite stratification and very little 
dip. The topography of the conglomerate is inconspicuous 
and consists of a slightly rolling valley without particular 
features. It approaches nearer to the level of the present 
drainage than any other formation, and decay by solution 
has gone on to a very considerable extent. Where the drain- 
ing streams have approached their baselevel, scarcely an out- 
crop of conglomerate is seen. Where the areas of conglom- 
erate lie near faster falling streams, the irregular masses of 
unweathered rocks appear. 

When but slightly weathered the conglomerate forms an 
eflFective decorative stone and has been extensively used as a 
marble with the name "Potomac marble," from the quarries 
on the Potomac east of Point of Rocks, Maryland. While it 
is in no sense a marble, yet the different reds and browns pro- 
duced by unequal weathering of the limestone pebbles have 
a very beautiful effect. 

The thickness of the Newark formation is most uncertain. 
The rocks dip at a light angle to the west with hardl}'^ an ex- 
ception, and the sections all appear to be continuous. Even 
with liberal deductions for frequent faults, nothing less than 
3,000 feet will account for the observed areas and dips. 

Newark Diabase. 

Description of the lithified deposits would be far from com- 
plete without reference to the later diabase which is asso- 
ciated with the Newark rocks. 

These diabases, as they will be called generically, are 
usually composed of plagioclase feldspar, and diallage or 
augite; additional and rarer minerals are quartz, olivine, 
hypersthene, magnetite, ilmenite, and hornblende. Their 
structure is ophitic in the finer varieties, and to some extent 
in the coarser kinds as well. They are holocrystalline in 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 3? 

form and true glassy bases are rare, rendering the term 
diabase more appropriate than basalt. 

There is greater variety in texture, from fine aphanitic 
traps up to coarse grained dolerites with feldspars one-third 
of an inch long. The coarser varieties are easily quarried and 
are often used for building stone under the name of granite. 

These forms are retained to the present day with no 
material change except that of immediate weathering, but to 
alterations of this kind they are an easy prey, and yield the 
most characteristic forms. The narrow dikes produce ridges 
between slight valleys of sandstone or shale, the wide bodies 
produce broad flat hills or uplands. The rock weathers into 
a fine gray and brown clay with numerous bowlders of 
unaltered rock of a marked concentric shape. 

While the diabase dikes are most prominent in the Newark 
rocks, they are also found occasionally in the other terraces. 
In the Catoctin Belt they appear irregularly in the granite 
and schist. Rare cases also occur in the rocks of the Pied- 
mont plain. The diabase of the Newark areas is almost ex- 
clusively confined to the red sandstone, and the dike at Lees- 
burg cutting the limestone conglomerate is almost the only 
occurrence of that combination. 

The diabase occurs only as an intrusive rock in the vicinity 
of the Catoctin Belt. Of this form of occurrence, however, 
there are two types, dikes and massive sheets or masses. The 
dikes are parallel to the strike of the inclosing sandstone as a 
rule, and appear to have their courses controlled by it on 
account of their small bulk. The large masses break at ran- 
dom across the sandstone in the most eccentric fashion. No 
dislocation can be detected in the sandstones, either in strike 
or dip, yet of course it must exist by at least the thickness of 
the intrusive mass. That this thickness is considerable is 
shown by the coarseness of the larger trap masses, which 
could occur only in bodies of considerable size, and also by 
the width of their outcrops in the westward dipping sand- 
stones. The chief mass in point of size is three miles wide. 
This mass fast decreases in width as it goes north, without 



38 HISTORY OF 

losing much of its coarseness, and ends in Leesburg in a 
hooked curve. The outline of the diabase is suggestive of 
the flexed trap sheets of more northern regions, but this 
appearance is deceptive, since the diabase breaks directly 
across both red sandstone and limestone conglomerate, which 
have a constant north and south strike. An eastern branch 
of this mass crosses the Potomac as a small dike and passes 
north into Pennsylvania. The diabase dikes in the Catoctin 
Belt are always narrow, and, while many outcrops occur along 
a given line, it is probable that they are not continuous. 

At I^eesburg the limestone conglomerate next the diabase 
is indurated, its iron oxide is driven off, and the limestone 
oartly crystallized into marble. 

Catoctin Schist. 

The Catoctin schist is geographically the most important 
of the volcanic rocks of Loudoun. 

Throughout its entire area the schist is singularly uniform 
in appearance, so that only two divisions can be made with 
any certainty at all. These are dependent upon a secondary 
characteristic, viz, the presence of epidote in large or small 
quantities. The epidote occurs in the form of lenses arranged 
parallel to the planes of schistosity, reaching as high as five 
feet in thickness and grading from that down to the size of 
minute grains. Accompanying this lenticular epidote is a 
large development of quartz in lenses, which, however, do not 
attain quite such a size as those of epidote. Both the quartz 
and epidote are practically insoluble and lie scattered over the 
surface in blocks of all sizes. In places they form an almost 
complete carpet and protect the surface from rem.oval. The 
resulting soil, where not too heavily encumbered with the 
epidote blocks, is rich and well adapted to farming, on 
account of the potash and calcium contained in the epidote 
and feldspar. 

Except along the narrow canyons in the Tertiary baselevel 
the rock is rarely seen unless badly weathered. The light 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 39 

bluish green color of the fresh rock changes on exposure to a 
dull gray or yellow, and the massive ledges and slabs split up 
into thin schistose layers. It is quite compact in appearance, 
and as a rule very few macroscopic crystals can be seen in it. 

A general separation can be made into an epidotic division 
characterized by an abundance of macroscopic epidote and a 
non-epidotic division with microscopic epidote. These divi- 
sions are accented by the general finer texture of the epidotic 
schist. 

The schists can be definitely called volcanic in many cases, 
from macroscopic characters, such as the component minerals 
and basaltic arrangement. In most cases, the services of the 
microscope are necessary to determine their nature. Many 
varieties have lost all of their original character in the second- 
ary schistosity. None the less, its origin as diabase can defi- 
nitely be asserted of the whole mass. In view of the fact, 
however, that most of the formation has a well defined 
schistosity destroying its diabasic characters, and now is not 
a diabase but a schist, it seems advisable to speak of it as a 
schist. 

Sections of the finer schist in polarized light show many 
small areas of quartz and plagioclase and numerous crystals 
of epidote, magnetite, and chlorite, the whole having a 
marked parallel arrangement. Only in the coarser varieties is 
the real nature of the rock apparent. In these the ophitic ar- 
rangement of the coarse feldspars is well defined, and in spite 
of their subsequent alteration the fragments retain the 
crystal outlines and polarize together. Additional minerals 
found in the coarse schists are calcite, ilmenite, skeleton 
oblivine, biotite, and hematite. 

Rocks of the Piedmont Plain. 

The Piedmont plain, where it borders upon the Catoctin 
Belt, is composed in the main of the previously described 
Newark strata, red sandstone, and limestone conglomerate. 
East of the Newark areas lies a broad belt of old crystalline 
rocks, whose relations to the Catoctin Belt are unknown. 



40 HISTORY OF 

The rocks, in a transverse line, beginning a little to the 
east of Dranesville, in Fairfax County, and extending to the 
Catoctin Mountain, near L,eesburg, occur in the following 
order, viz: Red sandstone, red shale, greenstone, trap, red- 
dish slate, and conglomerate limestone. 

Heavy dykes of trap rock extend across the lower end of 
the County, from near the mouth of Goose Creek to the 
Prince William line. "These, being intrusive rocks, have in 
some places displaced the shale and risen above it, while in 
other places a thin coat of shale remains above the trappean 
matter, but much altered and changed in character."* A 
large mass of trap rock presents itself boldly above the shale 
at the eastern abutment of the Broad Run bridge, on the 
Leesburg and Alexandria turnpike. Not far to the east the 
shale is changed to a black or blackish brown color, while at 
the foot of the next hill still farther eastward the red shale 
appears unchanged. The summits of many of these dykes 
are "covered with a whitish or yellowish compact shale, 
highly indurated and changed into a rock very difficult to 
decompose, "t 

Lafayette Forjjiation. 

A great class of variations due to rock character are those 
of surface form. The rocks have been exposed to the action 
of erosion during many epochs, and have yielded differently 
according to their natures. Different stages in the process of 
erosion can be distinguished and to some extent correlated 
with the time scale of the rocks in other regions. One such 
stage is particularly manifest in the Catoctin Belt and fur- 
nishes the datum by which to place other stages. It is also 
best adapted for study, because it is connected directly with 
the usual time scale by its associated deposits. This stage 
is the Tertiary baselevel, and the deposit is the Lafayette 
formation, a deposit of coarse gravel and sand lying hori- 
zontally upon the edges of the hard rocks. Over the Coastal 

"Taylor's Memoir. 
tibid. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 41 

plain and the eastern part of the Piedmont plain it is con- 
spicuously developed, and composes a large proportion of 
their surfaces. As the formation is followed westward it is 
more and more dissected by erosion and finally removed. 
Near the area of the Catoctin Belt it occurs in several places, 
all of them being small in area. One is three miles northeast 
of Aldie. Here, a Newark sandstone hill is capped with 
gravel. This gravel is much disturbed by recent erosion and 
consists rather of scattered fragments than of a bedded deposit. 
The materials of the Lafayette gravel are chiefly pebbles 
and grains of quartz, with a considerable admixture of quart- 
zite and sandstone. The large quartz pebbles were probably 
derived from the large lenses of quartz in the Catoctin schist, 
for no other formation above water at the time contained 
quartz in large enough masses to furnish such pebbles. On 
the hypothesis that they were of local origin and merely 
worked over during submergence, they might be connected 
with the quartz veins of the Piedmont plain. That theory, 
however, with difficulty accounts for their well-rounded con- 
dition, which shows either beach action or long carriage. The 
quartz sand may well have been derived from the granitic 
quartzes, but that is an uncertain matter. The sandstones 
and quartzites are usually massive and pure white, of the 
variety found along Catoctin and Bull Run mountains. Other 
varieties of sandstone — the blue-banded type, for instance — 
are derived from the Weverton sandstone on the Blue Ridge. 
The white sandstone pebbles in the terraces along Bull Run 
Mountain can be traced from the ledges to the deposits. In 
this region, therefore, an absolute shore can be seen. In 
other areas along Catoctin Mountain a shore can be inferred, 
because the mountain projects above the baselevel plane and 
contains no gravel deposits. In fact, only a few points at the 
stream gaps are cut down to the baselevel. 

Metamorphism . 

Dynamic metamorphism has produced great rearrangement 
of the minerals along the eastern side of the Catoctin Belt, 

45—4 



42 HISTORY OF 

and results at times in complete obliteration of the characters 
of the granite. The first step in the change was the cracking 
of the quartz and feldspar crystals and development of nius- 
covite and chlorite in the cracks. This was accompanied by 
a growth of muscovite and quartz in the unbroken feldspar. 
The aspect of the rock at this stage is that of a gneiss with 
rather indefinite banding. Further action reduced the rock to 
a collection of angular and rounded fragments of granite, 
quartz, and feldspar in a matrix of quartz and mica, the mica 
lapping around the fragments and rudely parallel to their 
surfaces. The last stage was complete pulverization of the 
fragments and elongation into lenses, the feldspathic material 
entirely recomposing into muscovite, chlorite, and quartz, 
and the whole mass receiving a strong schistosity, due to the 
arrangement of the mica plates parallel to the elongation. 
This final stage is macroscopically nothing more than a sili- 
ceous slate or schist, and is barely distinguishable from the 
end products of similar metamorphism in the more feldspathic 
schists and the I^oudoun sandy slates. The different steps 
can readily be traced, however, both in the hand specimen 
and under the microscope. 

The Weverton sandstone has suffered less from metamor- 
phism than any of the sediments. In the Blue Ridge it has 
undergone no greater change than a slight elongation of its 
particles and development of a little mica. Along Catoctin 
Mountain, from the Potomac River south, however, increased 
alteration appears together with the diminution in thickness. 
What little feldspar there was is reduced to quartz and mica, 
and the quartz pebbles are drawn out into lenses. Deposition 
of secondary quartz becomes prominent, amounting in the 
latitude of Goose Creek to almost entire recrystallization of 
the mass. A marked schistosity accompanies this alteration, 
and most of the schistose planes are coated with silvery mus- 
covite. Almost without exception these planes are parallel 
to the dip of the formation. 

Metamorphism of the I^oudoun formation is quite general. 
It commonly appears in the production of phyllites from the 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 43 

argillaceous members of the formation, but all of the frag- 
mental varieties show some elongation and production of 
secondary mica. The limestone beds are often metamor- 
phosed to marble, but only in the eastern belt. The recrys- 
tallization is not very extensive, and none of the marbles are 
coarse grained. 

The metamorphism of the igneous rocks is regional in na- 
ture and has the same increase from west to east as the sedi- 
ments. 

In the granite it consists of various stages of change in 
form, attended by some chemical rearrangement. The pro- 
cess consisted of progressive fracture and reduction of the 
crystals of quartz and feldspar, and was facilitated by the 
frequent cleavage cracks of the large feldspars. It produced 
effects varying from granite with a rude gneissoid appearance, 
through a banded fine gneiss, into a fine quartz schist or slate. 
These slaty and gneissoid planes are seen to be parallel to the 
direction and attitude of the sediments, wherever they are 
near enough for comparison. 

Dynamic alteration of the Catoctin diabase is pronounced 
and wide-spead. Macroscopically it is evident in the strong 
schistosity, which is parallel to the structural planes of the 
sediments when the two are in contact. In most areas this 
alteration is mainly chemical and has not affected the original 
proportions of the rock to a marked extent. Its prevalence is 
due to the unstable compo.sition of the original minerals of 
the rock, such as olivine, hypersthene, and pyroxene. Along 
Catoctin Mountain, however, both chemical and mechanical 
deformation have taken place, so that the original rock struc- 
ture is completely merged into pronounced schistosity. This 
was materially assisted by the weak lath shapes of the feld- 
spar and the mobility of the micas. 

The average dip of the schistose planes is about 60°; from 
this they vary up to 90° and down to 20°. In all cases they 
are closely parallel to the planes on which the sediments moved 
in adjustment to folding, namely, the bedding planes. In re- 
gions where no sediments occur, the relation of the schistose 
planes to the folds can not be discovered. 



44 HISTORY OF 

Parallel with the micas that cause the schistositj^ the 
growth of the quartz and epidote lenses took place. These, 
too, have been deformed bj' crushing and stretching along 
Bull Run Mountain and the south part of Catoctin Mountain. 
From this fact, taken in connection with the folding of the 
schistose planes at Point of Rocks, it would appear that the 
deformation was not a single continuous effort. 

The ratios of schistose deformation in the igneous rocks are 
as follows: diabase, with unstable mineral composition and 
small mechanical strength, has yielded to an extreme degree; 
granite, with stable composition and moderate mechanical 
strength, has yielded to the more pronounced compression. 



MINERAL AND KINDRED DEPOSITS. 

In point of mineral wealth Loudoun ranks with the foremost 
counties of the State. Iron, copper, silver, soapstone, asbes- 
tos, hydraulic limestone, barytes, and marble are some of the 
deposits that have been developed and worked with a greater 
or lesser degree of success. 

A large bed of compact red oxide of iron lies at the eastern 
base of the Catoctin Mountain, on the margin of the Potomac 
River. I^ong before the Civil War a furnace was erected here 
by Samuel Clapham, Sr. , for the reduction of this ore, and 
considerable quantities of it were formerly transported mod- 
erate distances to supply other furnaces. The Clapham 
furnace continued in operation until all the fuel at hand was con- 
sumed and then went out of blast. Water power was supplied 
by the Catoctin Creek, which flows into the river immediately 
above the mountain. To obtain this a tunnel was cut through 
a spur of the mountain projecting into a bend of the creek. 
This tunnel, about five hundred feet long and sixty feet be- 
neath the summit of the hill, was cut through almost a solid 
wall of rock, and, at that day, was considered a great work. 

Magnetic iron ore has been found in certain places, and 
this or a similar substance has a disturbing effect upon the 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 45 

needle of the surveyor's compass, rendering surveying ex- 
tremely difficult where great accuracy is required. In some 
instances the needle has been drawn as much as seven degrees 
from its true course. This effect is more or less observable 
nearly throughout the Catoctin Mountain, and has been noted 
elsewhere in the County. 

Chromate of iron was long ago discovered along Broad 
Run, and, about the same time, a bed of micaceous iron ore 
on Goose Creek below the Leesburg turnpike. Copper ore is 
associated with the last-named mineral. 

In i860, the output of pig iron in Loudoun was 2,250 tons, 
and its value $58,000. Rockbridge was the only Virginia 
County to exceed the.se figures. 

In several localities small angular lumps of a yellowish sub- 
stance, supposed to contain sulphur, have been found, em- 
bedded in rocks. When subjected to an intense heat, it gives 
forth a pungent sulphurous odor. 

Small quantities of silver ore are discovered from time to 
time; but the leads have never been extensively worked and 
many of the richest veins are still untouched. 

Deposits of copper in the schists have long excited interest 
and led to mining operations. The amount of ore, however, 
appears not to have justified any considerable work. 

Near the base of the Catoctin Mountain, where it is first 
approached by Goose Creek, marble of an excellent quality 
is found but has been little worked. Among the varieties at 
the quarry are included pure white, white and pink, blue and 
white, white and green, serpentinized and chloritic terpen- 
tinized marble. These marbles are of great beauty and sus- 
ceptible of a good polish. The calcareous bed here is about 
fifty feet thick and reaches southward for three miles with 
increasing thickness. At its southern end it is not entirely 
metamorphosed into marble, but retains its original character 
of fine blue limestone. Northward along this range the thick- 
ness of the marble constantly diminishes and rarely exceeds ten 
feet. Sometimes there are two beds, sometimes only one. At 
Taylorstown, just south of the Potomac, the bed is about three 



46 HISTORY OF 

feet thick; on the north side of the Potomac about four or 
five feet. Here, as elsewhere, the beds of marble are inclosed 
in a bluish green micaceous schist, which has been thor- 
oughly transformed b)'' mechanical pressure. 

In the vicinity of I^eesburg and north of that town, and 
between the Catoctin Mountain and the Potomac River, the 
conglomerate limestone orbrecciated marble is found in abun- 
dance, associated with red shale. It is a calcareous rock, 
apparently formed in part of pebbles cemented together and, 
when burned, produces an inferior lime. It is commonly 
known as Potomac marble. Of this variegated marble were 
formed the beautiful columns in the old Representatives' 
chamber of the Capitol at Washington. The soil in which this 
rock occurs is extremely productive and valuable. 

The exhibition at the World's Fair, at New Orleans, of the 
following specimens of Loudoun minerals claimed much inter- 
est from visiting mineraloguists: 

1. Specular Iron Ore, from near Leesburg, said to be in 
quantity. From Professor Fontaine. 

2. Chalcopyrite, from near Leesburg, said to be a promising 
vein. From Professor Fontaine. 

The following were contributed by the "Eagle Mining 
Company," of Leesburg; F. A. Wise, general manager: 

1. Carbonate oj Copper, from vein 3' wide, developed to 25' 
deep. Assays by Oxford Copper Company of New York give 5 1 
per cent of copper and 27 ounces of silver per ton. 

2. Sulphuret of Copper, from vein 10" wide, developed to 50' 
deep. Assays by Oxford Copper Company of New York give 
12^ percent of copper. 

3. Iron Ore, from vein 4' wide and 50' deep. Yields 55 per 
cent metallic iron by assay of W. P. Lawver, ol U. S. Mint. 

4. Sulphuret of Copper, from vein developed 50'. 
Yields 11 per cent of copper and 1 ounce of silver per ton by 
assay of W. P. Lawver, U. S. Mint. 

5. Carbojiate of Copper, red oxide and glance, from vein 3' 
wide, developed to 25' deep. Yields 50 per cent metallic cop- 
per and 27 ounces silver per ton by assays. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 4/ 

6. Iron Ore, from vein 2' to 4' wide, developed 50'. Yield 55 
per cent metallic iron. 

7. Oxide of Copper, from Carbonate vein, developed 60' on 
4' wide vein; 25' deep. 

8. Sulphuret of Copper, from vein 8" to 15" wide, developed 
50'. 

9. /rcn Ore. 

10. Barytes, heavy spar, vein undeveloped. 

11. Iron Ore, from 50' level of Eagle Mining Company's 
shaft. 

12. Marble, from quarry of "Virginia Marble Company," 
three miles east from Middleburg. The deposit has been 
demonstrated to be of great extent; the marble has been 
pronounced of a very superior quality. Contributed by Major 
B. P. Noland. 

13. Marble, from same as above. 
14 «' <« «' " '< 

17. Copper Ore, James Pinkham, from Virginia Department 
of Agriculture. 

In the ''Handbook on the Minerals ayid Mineral Resources 
of Virginia''' prepared by the Virginia Commission to the 
St. Louis Exposition, Loudoun is credited with the three 
comparatively rare minerals given below. The two first- 
named occur nowhere else in the State. 

"AcTiNQLiTE: Calcinni-magnesium-iron, Amphibole, 

Ca(MgFe)3(Si04)3. 
Specific Gravity, 3-3.2. Hardness, 5-6. Streak, un- 
colored. . . . Fine radiated olive-green crystals are 
found . . . at Taylorstown . . . . " 

"TrEMOLITE: a variety of Amphibole. Calcium. 

Magnesium, Amphibole. Ca Mgj (Si 04)3. 

Specific Gravity, 2.9-3. 1. Hardness, 5.6. Long bladed 
crystals; also columnar and fibrous. Color, white and grayish. 



48 HISTORY OF 

Sometimes nearly transparent. Found in the greenish talcose 
rocks at Taylorstown." 

Chrotnite, of which no occurrence of economic importance 
has yet been discovered in the County or elsewhere in Vir- 
ginia. 

' '*0n the eastern flank of the Catoctin rests a thin belt of mica 
slate. This rock is composed of quartz and mica in varying 
proportions, and this belt, on reaching the Bull Run Moun- 
tain, there expands itself, and forms the whole base of that 
mountain, and where the mica predominates, as it does there, 
it sometimes forms excellent flagging stones." 

"Immediately at the western base of the Catoctin Mountain, 
a range of magnesian or talcose slates occur traversing its 
whole length. ... In this range a vein of magnesian 
limestone is met with, and is exposed in several places. It 
however is narrow, in some places only a few feet in thickness, 
and being diflScult to obtain is not much sought after for 
burning." 

"Along the eastern side of the valley (Loudoun) gneiss is 
frequently met with on the surface, and where the larger 
streams have worn deep valleys, it is sometimes exposed in 
high and precipitous cliffs. This is more particularly the 
case along Goose Creek and Beaver Dam. Associated with 
it, however, is clay slate, not so much in rock as in soil, for 
it being more readily decomposed is seldom found on the sur- 
face, except as soil. These two varieties are often met with 
side by side in thin layers, and their combination at the sur- 
face forms a peculiarly favorable soil for agricultural pur- 
poses. The gneiss from the quartz it contains makes a sandy 
soil, while the clay slate gives it tenacity. This happy com- 
bination is a prevailing feature of this entire valley, and ren- 
ders it one of the best farming sections in Virginia. 

"Another rock that is a valuable acquisition is hornblende. 
This kind when first taken from the ground, is always cov 



*Taylor's Memoir. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 49 

ered as with a coat of rust. This is doubtless the fact, for 
the oxydasion of the iron it contains gives it that appearance, 
and colors the soil a reddish hue in its immediate vicinity. 
Wherever this rock abounds, the soil is durable and the crops 
are usually heavy. It is sometimes met with having a fine 
grain, and so very hard as to be almost brittle, though gen- 
erally very difficut to break, and when broken strongly re- 
sembling cast-iron, and will sometimes ring, on being struck, 
almost as clearly. It was used very much formerly for mak- 
ing journals to run mill-gudgeons upon. When found on the 
surface, it is usually of a rounded form. . . . " 

However, much of the rock of the valley partakes of the 
nature of both hornblend and gneiss, and has been aptly 
termed a "hornblend gneiss rock." 

Beds of magnesian or talcose slate, sometimes containing 
crystals of sulphuret of iron, are frequently met with in this 
section, and at the base of Black Oak Ridge, which is com- 
posed chiefly of chlorite slate and epidote, another bed of 
magnesian limestone is found. Containing about 40 per cent 
of magnesia, it makes an excellent cement for walls, but is of 
little or no value as a fertilizer. 



SOILS.* 

The soils of I^oudoun vary greatly in both geological char- 
acter and productiveness, every variety from a rich alluvial 
to an unproductive clay occurring within her boundaries. In 
general the soils are deep and rich and profitably cultivated. 

The heavy clay soils of Loudoun are recognized as being 
the strongest wheat and grass soils. The more loamy soils 
are better for corn on account of the possibility of more 
thorough cultivation. However, the lands all have to be fer- 
tilized or limed to obtain the best results, and with this added 

*For the bulk of the information appearing under this caption the 
author is indebted to Carter's and Lyman's Soil Survey of the Leesburg 
Area, published in 1904 by the United States Department of Agriculture. 



50 HISTORY OF 

expense the profit in wheat growing is extreme!)^ uncertain 
on any but the clay soils. The loamy soils aie especially 
adapted to corn, stock raising, and dairying, and they are 
largely used for these purposes. The mountain sandstone 
soils, which are rough and stony, are not adapted to any form 
of agriculture; but for some lines of horticulture — as, for in- 
stance, the production of grapes, peaches, apples and chest- 
nuts — or forestry they seem to offer excellent opportuni- 
ties. The schist soil of the mountains, although rough and 
stony, is productive, easily worked, and especially adapted to 
apples, peaches, and potatoes. The shale and mica soils, 
although thin and leachy, are especially adapted to grapes, 
vegetables, and berries, and other small fruits. These soils 
should be managed very carefully to obtain the best results. 
They are easily worked and very quickly respond to fertiliza- 
tion and thorough cultivation. It is very probable that 
market gardening and fruit raising on these types would 
prove profitable. It seems, however, that peach trees are 
short lived on these soils. The meadow lands are low and 
subject to overflow, although otherwise well drained. They 
are best adapted to the production of corn, grass, and vege- 
tables. 

That part of the County lying east of a line drawn from 
the Potomac River near Leesburg, by Aldie to the Fauquier 
line, is much more unproductive than the western portion, 
partly on account of an inferior soil, and partly in con- 
sequence of an exhausting system of cultivation, once so 
common in eastern Virginia, i. e., cropping with corn and 
tobacco without attempting to improve the quality of the soil. 
When impoverished, the lands were thrown out to the com- 
mons. 

Large tracts that formerly produced from thirty to iorty 
bushels of corn to the acre, still remain out of cultivation, 
though many of the present proprietors are turning their 
attention to the improvement of these soils and are being richly 
rewarded. 

In this section, particularly along Goose Creek, trap-rock 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 51 

occurs, sometimes covering large surfaces, at other limes 
partially covered with indurated shale, formed from the red 
shale of this region which has become hardened by the heat 
of the intruding trap. Where this rock occurs covering large 
surfaces, nearly level, "the soil is a dark brown colored clay, 
very retentive of moisture and better adapted tograssthan grain. 
A deficiency of lime probably occurs here, and there 
may be some obnoxious ingredient present. Minute grains of 
iron sand are generally interspersed through this rock, and as 
it is not acted upon by atmospheric influences, its combina- 
tion may contain some acid prejudicial to vegetation. Where 
this rock is thrown into more irregular elevations, and is ap- 
parently more broken up, the soil is better."* 

Near the Broad Run Bridge the soil is deplorabl)^ sterile. 
"In many places it is but a few inches in thickness, and the 
rock below, being compact, prevents the water from penetrat- 
ing much below the surface, thus causing an excess of water 
in rainy weather, and a scarcity of it in fair weather. The 
red shale does not appear to decompose readily, as it is found 
a short distance beneath the surface, and the strata dipping 
at a low angle, prevents the water from freely descending into 
this kind of soil. "f 

There is a huge belt of red land, known as "the red sand- 
stone formation," extending from the Potomac through a 
part of each of the counties of Loudojin, Fairfax, Prince Wil- 
liam, Fauquier, Culpeper, and Orange, which, with judicious 
cultivation, might be rendered liberally productive. Professor 
W. B. Rogers, in his report to the legislature of Virginia, in 
1840, described it under the head of the "secondary forma- 
tion in the northern district." "The general form of this 
area," he wrote, "is that of a prolonged triangle, extending 
in a direction from SSW. to NNE., having its apex at 
the southern extremity, and gradually expanding until it 
reaches the Potomac. Measured at a point on the Potomac 
between the mouths of Goose Creek and Broad Run, its length 

*Taylor's Memoir. 
tibid. 



52 HISTORY OF 

is about 80 miles. Its greatest breadth, as measured near the 
Potomac, and parallel to the road leading from Leesburg to 
Dranesville, is about 15 miles. This, in round numbers, 
gives 600 square miles for the area of this region." 

Bottom lands of inexhaustible fertility and rich upland 
loams are commonly met with north and south of Leesburg 
for a considerable distance on either side of the turnpike lead- 
ing from Point of Rocks, Md., at one extremity of the County 
to Middleburg at the other. 

lyimestone occurs in vast quantities throughout this zone, 
and there are present all the propitious elements that will be 
enumerated in the treatment of the soils of other areas. 

The land here is in a high state of cultivation and, accord- 
ing to its peculiarly varying and unalterable adaptability, 
produces enormous crops of all the staple grains of the County. 

The soil in the vicinity of Oatlands, included in this zone, 
is stiff and stony, except such as is adjacent to water courses, 
or the base of hills, where it is enriched by liberal supplies of 
decayed matter, which render it loamy and inexhaustible. In 
the main, it is of a generous quality, so pertinaciously retain- 
ing fertilizers as to withstand the washing of the heaviest 
rains. Still it is an anomaly that some of the richest areas in 
this region will not produce wheat; while, in the cultivation 
of rye, oats, and corn, satisfactory results are almost invari- 
ably obtained. L/ikewise there are but a few parcels whereon 
white clover does not grow spontaneously and in the greatest 
abundance. Than these, better pasture lands are found 
nowhere east of the Blue Ridge. Limestone occurs here in 
vast quantities. 

In the Valley of Loudoun, between the Catoctin and Blue 
Ridge mountains, the soil is formed from gneiss, clay-slate, 
hornblend, greenstone, and quartz. The happy combination 
of these materials produces a most excellent and durable soil, 
containing, in fair proportions, alumina, silex, potash, lime, 
and other fertilizing minerals. Certain fertilizers have been 
successfully employed in improving its natural fertility, and 
when it is partially exhausted by excessive tillage, rest alone 
will restore it. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 53 

Loudoun Sandy Loam. 

The Loudoun sandy loam consists of from 8 to 12 inches of a 
heavy brown or gray sandy loam, underlain by a heavy yellow 
or red loam or clay loam. Often the subsoil contains a con- 
siderable quantity of coarse sand, making the texture much 
the same as that of the soil. The sand of the soil and sub- 
soil is composed of very coarse rounded and subangular quartz 
particles. The surface material is not a light sandy loam, but 
is more like a loam containing considerable quantities of very 
coarse quartz fragments. It is generally quite free from 
stones, but small areas are occasionally covered with from 5 
to 20 per cent of angular quartz fragments several inches in 
diameter. 

The Loudoun sandy loam occurs in irregular areas of con- 
siderable size in the intermediate valley between the Blue 
Ridge, Short Hill, and Catoctin mountains. The largest 
area of the type is found in the vicinity of Round Hill. 

The topography of this soil in the valley varies from gently 
rolling to hilly, the slopes being long and gently undulating, 
while along the valley walls and in the uplands it is ridgy. 
Owing to the position which this type occupies, surface drain- 
age is good. The light texture of the soil admits of the easy 
percolation of water through it, and, except where the subsoil 
contains considerable sand, the soil moisture is well retained. 
In dry weather, if the ground is cultivated, a mulch is formed, 
which prevents the evaporation of the soil moisture and 
greatly assists the crops to withstand drought. 

Nearly the whole of this type is in cultivation. Where the 
forest still stands the growth consists chiefly of oak. The 
soil is easy to handle, and can be worked without regard to 
moisture content. It is considered a good corn land, but is 
too light-textured for wheat, although a considerable acreage 
is devoted to this crop. Corn yields at the rate of 40 or 50 
bushels per acre, wheat from 12 to 15 bushels and occasionally 
more, and grass and clover at the rate of 1 or 2 tons per acre. 
The productiveness of the soil depends greatly on the sand 
content of the subsoil. If the quantity be large, the soil is 



54 HISTORY OF 

porous and requires considerable rain to produce good yields. 
If the clay content predominates, a moderate amount of rain 
suffices and good yields are obtained. Apples, pears, and small 
fruits do well on this soil. 

Penn Clay. 

The Penn clay consists of from 6 to 12 inches of a red or 
reddish-brown loam, resting upon a subsoil of heavy red clay. 
The soil and subsoil generally have the Indian-red color char- 
acteristic of the Triassic red sandstone from which the soil is 
in part derived. From 1 to 10 per cent of the soil mass is 
usually made up of small sandstone fragments, while through- 
out the greater part of the type numerous limestone conglom- 
erate ledges, interbedded with Triassic red sandstone, come to 
the surface. In other areas of the type numerous limestone 
conglomerate bowlders, often of great size, cover from 10 to 
25 per cent of the surface. 

This latter phase occurs in the vicinity of the Potomac 
River near Point of Rocks, Md., and near the Potomac, 3 
miles north of Leesburg, and in these places the heavier phase 
of the type occurs, the clay often being very near the surface. 
In other parts of the County, where the limestone conglom- 
erate is not so preponderant, or where it lies deeper and is 
mostly unexposed, the surface soil is deeper, often consisting 
of 18 inches of loam. The land is locally termed "limestone 
land." Near Catoctin Mountain the rocks seem to have 
weathered to considerable depth, there being no exposures or 
outcrops. Here the soil has been washed away from some of 
the more elevated small areas, and the heavy red clay subsoil 
is exposed. 

In a great many places along the base of the mountain the 
formation of this type is somewhat complicated by the wash 
from the mountain, which consists principally of subangular 
quartz fragments, from 1 to 4 inches in diameter. This rock 
sometimes forms as much as 30 or 40 per cent of the soil mass. 
This phase is called "gravelly land," and is hard to cultivate 
on account of its heavy texture and stony condition, although 
it is inherently productive. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 55 

This type occurs in one irregular-shaped area, about 15 
miles long, varying from less than 1 mile to 3 or 4 miles in 
width, being cut by the Potomac River just east of Point of 
Rocks, Md. It thus lies in the central part of the County, 
in the Piedmont Plateau, extending from immediately north 
of I^eesburg, and skirting the eastern foot of Catoctin 
Mountain. 

The general surface drainage is good, there being many 
small streams flowing through the type and emptying into 
the Potomac River. The stream beds are but little lower than 
the surface of the surrounding land, while the slopes are long 
and gentle. Excessive erosion scarcely ever occurs. The 
heavier phase of the type would undoubtedly be improved by 
tile draining, as it is usually lower lying than the lighter 
phase. The heavier phase bakes and cracks in dry weather 
much the same as the heavy limestone soils of the Shenandoah 
Valley, but with the lighter phases, where the soil covering 
is deeper, good tilth is easily maintained throughout the 
growing season. 

Corn, wheat, clover, and grass are the crops grown, of 
which the yields are as follows: Corn, from 40 to 60 bushels 
per acre; wheat, from 15 to 25 bushels per acre, and clover 
and grass, from \% to 2^ tons of hay per acre. 

The Penn clay is the most highly prized soil of the Pied- 
mont region of lyoudoun and brings the highest prices. 

Penn Sto7iy Loam. 

The Penn stony loam consists of from 8 to 12 inches of 
a red or grayish heavy loam, somewhat silty, underlain by 
a heavier red loam. From 10 to 60 per cent of gray and 
brown fragments of Triassic sandstone, ranging from 1 to 6 
inches in thickness, cover the surface of the soil. The color 
is in general the dark Indian-red of the other soils derived 
from Triassic sandstone, being particularly marked in the 
subsoil. 

This type occurs in the southeastern part of Loudoun, on 
the Piedmont Plateau. It occupies three small areas whose 



56 HISTORY OF 

total extent probably does not exceed two and one-half square 
miles. It is closely associated with the Penn loam and grades 
gradually into that type. The only great difference between 
the two is the presence of sandstone fragments in the Penn 
stony loam. 

The topography varies from gently rolling to hilly and 
ridgy, with slopes that are sometimes rather steep. How- 
ever, the surface is not so broken as to interfere with cultiva- 
tion, and the slopes are usually gentle. 

The type is well drained, the slopes allowing a rapid flow 
of water from the surface, while the soil water passes readily 
through the soil and subsoil. On the other hand, the texture 
is sufficiently heavy to prevent undue leaching and drought. 

lyittle of the land is in cultivation, on account of its stony 
character, which makes cultivation difficult. Where unim- 
proved it is covered with a heavy growth of chestnut, oak, 
and pine. The land is locally called "chestnut land." In a 
few small areas the larger stones have been removed and the 
land is cultivated, corn and wheat being the principal crops. 
The yield of corn ranges from 20 to 35 bushels and of wheat 
from 8 to 15 bushels per acre. Apples and small fruits and 
vegetables do well. 

Iredell Clay Loam. 

The soil of the Iredell clay loam consists of from 6 to 
18 inches of light loam, usually brown or gray, although 
sometimes of a yellovv'ish color, with an average depth of 
about twelve inches. The subsoil consists of a heavy yellow 
to yellowish-brown waxy clay. This clay is cold and sour, 
almost impervious to moisture and air, and protects the 
underlying rock from decay to a great extent. Often the 
clay grades into the rotten rock at from 24 to 36 inches. 
In the poorly drained areas a few iron concretions occur 
on the surface. Numerous rounded diabase bowlders, vary- 
ing in size from a few inches to several feet in diameter, 
are also scattered over the surface of the soil. Occasional 
slopes of the type have had the soil covering entirely removed 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 57 

by erosion, and here, where the clay appears on the surface, 
the soil is very poor. In other places, where the soil cover- 
ing is quite deep, as from 12 to 18 inches, the type is fairly 
productive, and its productiveness is generally proportional 
to the depth of the soil. 

The local name for the Iredell clay loam is "wax land," 
from the waxy nature of the subsoil, or "black-oak land," 
from the timber growth. A few small, isolated areas of this 
soil occur in the intermediate valley of the Catoctin Belt, 
and here the texture is much the same as that described 
above; but the soil usually consists of from 6 to 10 inches 
of a drab or brown loam, underlain by a heavy mottled yellow 
and drab silty clay. This phase has few stones on the surface 
or in the soil. The local names for this phase are "cold, 
sour land ' ' and ' ' white clay. ' ' 

The greater part of the Iredell clay loam occurs in the 
southern or southeastern corner of the County and occupies 
one large, irregular-shaped but generally connected area, 
extending from lycesburg, in a southeasterly and southerly 
direction along Goose Creek to the southern boundary of the 
County, the most typical development of the soil being at 
Waxpool. The phase already described occurs in small, dis- 
connected areas, usually quite far apart, the general relative 
direction of these areas being northeast and southwest. They 
all lie in the intermediate valley of the Catoctin Belt, and 
are usually near the foot of the Blue Ridge or Short Hills. 
The most typical development of this phase occurs just south- 
east of Bluemont. 

Where rolling and sloping the surface drainage is good, the 
water passing rapidly from the surface into the numerous 
small streams flowing into Goose Creek, which is the main 
drainage way of this type. In the low, flat lands the water 
stands or flows very slowly from the surface. Owing to the 
impervious nature of the clay subsoil, underdrainage is veiy 
slow, and the land is often cold and sour. 

Corn, wheat, and grass are the principal crops grown on 

45—5 



58 HISTORY OF 

this soil type, the average yields per acre being as follows: 
Corn, from 20 to 40 bushels; wheat, from 8 to 15 bushels; 
and grass, from 1>2 to 2yi tons. Apples do fairly well. 

The greater part of the type is tilled, while the uncultivated 
areas are used for pasturage and wood lots, the forest growth 
being black oak. In dry seasons, where the soil covering is 
not deep, the land bakes and cracks, and in this condition it 
can not be cultivated. In wet seasons the soil becomes too 
wet and sticky to work. 

Penn Loam. 

The Penn loam consists of from 8 to 12 inches of a dark, 
Indian-red loam, underlain by a heavier loam of the same 
color. This peculiar red color is distinctive of the formation 
wherever found, and, consequently, the type is one easily rec- 
oo-nized. The texture of the type is very uniform, with the 
exception of a few small areas where the subsoil is a clay 
loam. The soil is locally termed "red-rock land," on account 
of the numerous small red sandstone fragments which occur 
in the soil and subsoil in quantities varying from 5 to 20 per 
cent of the soil mass. The soil is free from large stones or other 
obstructions to cultivation. 

This type occurs in several large, irregular areas on the 
Newark formation of the Piedmont Plateau in the eastern 
part of the County. The areas have a general northeast and 
southwest trend. A few small areas occur in close proximity 
to the larger ones. One of the larger areas is situated just 
south of l/cesburg, while another occurs east of I^ucketts. 

The topography consists of a gently rolling to nearly level 
plain, and there are no steep slopes or rough areas. Drainage 
in this type is excellent, the easy slopes allowing a gradual 
flow of water from the surface without undue erosion, except 
with very heavy rains on the steeper slopes. The loamy sub- 
soil allows a ready but not too rapid percolation of surplus 
soil moisture, and never gets soggy or in a cold, sour condi- 
tion. Numerous small streams extend throughout the area 
of this type, allowing a rapid removal of all surplus water 
into the Potomac River, the chief drainageway of the County. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 59 

Along these streams, which in all cases have cut out beds 
some 10 to 30 feet below the surrounding plain, the slopes are 
gradual. 

The original growth on the Penn loam was a forest of oak, 
hickory, and walnut, but at the present time nearly all of the 
type is cleared and farmed. The soil is not naturally very 
productive, but is prized on account of its great susceptibility 
to improvement, its quick responsiveness to fertilization, and 
its easy cultivation and management. The surface is smooth 
and regular, and the absence of stones, together with the 
loamy texture of the soil, makes it easy to maintain good 
tilth. Any addition of fertilizers or lime is immediately 
effective, and by judicious management the type may be kept 
in a high state of productiveness. Many fine farms with 
good buildings are to be seen on this type. The crops grown 
are corn, wheat, grass, clover, apples, and small fruits. Graz- 
ing, stock raising, and dairying are practiced to some extent. 
The land yields from 40 to 60 bushels of corn, from 10 to 15 
or more bushels of wheat, and from 1 to 2 tons of hay per 
acre. 

Cecil Loam. 

The soil of the Cecil loam consists of from 8 to 12 inches 
of a brown or yellow loam. The subsoil consists of a heavy 
yellow or red loam, or occasionally clay loam. The soil and 
subsoil are usually free from stones, but occasional areas 
have from 5 to 30 per cent of angular quartz or schist frag- 
ments on the surface. Often a mica-schist enters into the 
composition of the subsoil, giving it a soft and greasy feel. 

The greater part of the intermediate valley or base-level 
plain of the Catoctin Belt consists of the Cecil loam, and it 
occurs here as one large, connected area, inside of which are 
small areas of Cecil clay, Loudoun sandy loam, and Iredell 
clay loam. A considerable portion of the Catoctin Mountain 
also consists of the Cecil loam. In extent this is the most 
important soil type in Loudoun, covering about 33 per cent 
of the total area. 



60 HISTORY OF 

The Cecil loam, owing to its rolling character, is well 
drained throughout. Many small streams traverse it, afford- 
ing ample outlets for surface water. The gently rolling areas 
are not generally subject to excessive erosion, but the steeper 
slopes wash badly, deep gullies and ditches being formed on 
the hillsides. Especially subject to erosion are the areas in 
which the subsoil contains a relatively large proportion of 
mica fragments. The soil and subsoil, though quite loamy, 
retain enough moisture in seasons of moderate rainfall to 
supply all growing crops. 

The Cecil loam is devoted entirely to general farming. The 
crops grown are corn, wheat, grass, clover, vegetables, 
apples, and pears. The agricultural interests are further 
diversified by the practice of dairying and stock raising. 
The land is one of the best corn soils of Loudoun, being 
loamy and easily cultivated throughout the growing season. 
The average yield per acre ranges from 40 to 60 bushels. 
Wheat does very well, producing from 12 to 20 bushels per 
acre, and more in favorable seasons. Grass and clover yield 
at the rate of from 1 to 2 tons of hay per acre and form good 
grazing during a considerable part of the year. Apples and 
pears are grown everywhere on the type, usually in small 
orchards, and good yields of these fruits are obtained. Oats 
were at one time grown, and can be produced at the rate of 
from 35 to 50 bushels per acre, but the present acreage is 
small, the farmers claiming that this crop rapidly reduces the 
productiveness of the soil. 

Nearly all of the type is in cultivated crops or pasture. 
The original timber growth was oak, hickory, and walnut; 
but little of this stands now, except on occasional woodlots. 
The Cecil loam is a soil which with careful treatment makes 
a fine farming land; but carelessly managed it very quickly 
deteriorates. 

Cecil Clay. 

The soil of the Cecil clay consists of a heavy loam, red or 
brown in color, and having an average depth of 8 inches. 
The subsoil generally consists of a red clay, although it is 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 6l 

sometimes a heavy clay loam. The surface is generally free 
from stones, though occasional small areas have a few quartz 
and granite or schist fragments. In the Piedmont areas small 
rounded diabase fragments occur on the surface. Occasion- 
ally on steep slopes or high knobs the soil covering has been 
washed away, leaving the heavy red clay exposed on the sur- 
face. ' These areas, however, are small. 

The type occurs principally in the intermediate valley of 
the Catoctin Belt, between the Blue Ridge and the Catoctin 
Mountain, and on the west slopes of the Catoctin Mountain. 
In the valley it occupies several small, disconnected areas 
scattered throughout this region, while on the west slope of 
the mountain it is found in one of two long, broad areas, ex- 
tending in a northeast and southwest direction. Three small 
areas occur near the southeastern corner of the County, and 
the type is here closely related to the Iredell clay loam. 

The most typical areas of this soil occur in the Piedmont 
Plateau and on the gentle slopes at the foot of the Blue Ridge 
in the vicinity of Bluemont. 

This soil type has excellent surface drainage and is well 
watered and drained throughout by small streams. Few of 
the slopes are so steep as to wash badly. The heavy clay 
subsoil retains ample moisture for plant growth and the 
soil is rarely so wet as to necessitate tile draining, although 
this would undoubtedly be very beneficial in the case of the 
heavier phases. 

The whole of this soil is under cultivation and it is highly 
esteemed wherever found, being naturally a strong soil and 
susceptible of improvement. The original forest growth con- 
sisted of oak, hickory, and walnut. The land is easily im- 
proved, retentive of moisture and manure, and with careful 
management makes an excellent soil for general farming. 
Owing to its tendency to bake, crops are liable to suffer during 
drought. 

The land produces wheat, corn, grass, clover, apples, and 
pears. It is a strong wheat soil, and yields from 15 to 25 
bushels per acre and occasionally more. Grass and clover 



62 HISTORY OF 

hay yield at the rate of \% to 2% tons per acre, while from 
40 to 60 bushels of corn per acre are usually produced in good 
seasons. 

All things considered, the Cecil clay is best adapted to the 
production of wheat and grass. The more loamy phases are 
adapted to corn, but the type as a whole is a much better 
wheat land than corn land. The soil is also well adapted to 
apples and pears. Bluegrass grows well and makes fine pas- 
turage, and stock raising and dairy farming are other indus- 
tries to which the Cecil clay is well suited. Care has to be 
used in the cultivation of this soil, for if worked when too 
wet it dries in large, hard clods that give trouble throughout 
the season and interfere with cultivation for a long time after- 
wards. 

Cecil Silt Loa7n. 

The surface soil of the Cecil silt loam consists of 12 
inches of alight gray or white silt loam. This material is 
underlain by a subsoil of yellow silt loam slightly heavier 
than the soil. The type is locally termed "white land," and 
is closely related to the Penn loam and the Iredell clay loam, 
these types surrounding and grading gradually into it. In 
some areas the soil is quite free from stones, while in others 
from 10 to 30 per cent of the soil mass is composed of small 
rock fragments. 

The tj^pe occupies several small areas in the Piedmont 
region, in the southeastern part of the County. The largest 
of these areas lies about 2 miles east of Leesburg, and a 
considerable part of the type is adjacant to the Potomac River. 
It occupies high, rolling, ridgy, or hilly lands, and has some 
rather steep slopes, though in general the surface is only 
gently sloping. 

The drainage is good, but wherever the slopes are steep 
erosion proceeds rapidly, making gullies and washed-out places 
that hinder or entirely prevent cultivation. The type is well 
watered by small streams which flow the year round. 

Probably one-half of this type is cultivated. The remainder 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 63 

is covered with a growth of scrub oak, pine, and some cedar. 
The soil is thin and only fairly productive, and consequently 
is not greatly desired for agriculttnt. It is very easy to work, 
but has to be cultivated carefully to avoid washing. The 
crops raised are corn,' wheat, grass, and some apples. Corn 
yields from 25 to; ;35;; bushfls, wheat from 12 to 15 bushels, 
and clover and timothy; hay from 1 tc 2 tons per acre. Small 
fruits and vegetables do well. 

Although naturally a thin soil, the Cecil silt loam is fairly 
well adapted to the; production of the crops just named. Of the 
small fruits, peaches, plums, and berries do best. On the whole 
the type is considered much better adapted to wheat than to 
corn. It is limed and fertilized to a considerable extent, and 
responds well to such applications. 

Cecil Mica Loam. 

The Cecil mica loam consists of 12 inches of a friable, mica- 
ceous yellow or yellowish red loam, underlain by a yellow or 
yellowish-red loam, whose mica content increases with the 
depth until at 24 to 30 inches the subsoil is little more than a 
mass of small mica flakes which gives it a loose texture. Occa- 
sionally the subsoil is a clay loam for several inches before 
grading into the unweathered mica particles. 

On the surface there is from 5 to 40 per cent of angular 
quartz fragments, ranging from 1 to 6 inches in diameter, 
some being much larger. 

The Cecil mica loam occurs as one long, narrow strip, 
occupying the lower, gentle eastern slopes of the Catoctin 
Mountain. The southern end of the stip begins a short distance 
north of Leesburg, and extends in a northeasterly direction 
to the Potomac River, opposite Point of Rocks, Md. 

The topographic features of the Cecil mica loam consist of 
gentle and occasionally steep rolling slopes. The surface is 
well drained and on the steeper slopes the soil washes badly 
and deep gullies are formed. In a season of moderate rainfall 
the soil and subsoil retain considerable moisture, but in dry 
weather crops suffer from drought. 



64 HISTORY OF 

No farms are found entirely on the Cecil mica loam, but 
those farms of the Piedmont, extending up the mountain 
slopes, generally include some of this soil. Such areas are often 
farmed, but more generally used as woodlots. Where culti- 
vated the yields are scant, except where the soil is heavily 
fertilized. Corn yields from 10 to 30 bushels per acre and 
sometimes more, and wheat from 6 to 12 bushels per acre. The 
type is best adapted to forestry, chestnut orcharding, and 
grape growing. 

De Kalb Stony Loam. 

The soil of the De Kalb stony loam consists of a yellow or 
gray sandy loam of coarse texture, having an average depth 
of 12 inches. The subsoil consists of a heavy yellow 
sandy loam to a depth of 24 inches or more, where 
it rests upon a mass of sandstone fragments. These sand- 
stone fragments and bowlders occur in varying quantities 
throughout the soil and subsoil. Where the fewer stones are 
found the soil is not so sandy, but a light loam, yellow or brown 
in color, underlain by a deep yellow loam subsoil. 

The De Kalb stony loam is a mountain soil, occurring in 
long, parallel bands of varying width, extending in a general 
northeast and southwest direction, and mainly occupies the 
crests and slopes of the Blue Ridge and Short Hill mountains. 
It also occurs in smaller areas on the crest and east slope of 
Catoctin Mountain. 

On the Blue Ridge and Short Hills the De Kalb stony loam 
covers the whole of the mountains, and here the physiog- 
raphy consists of long, sharp, rock-crested ridges, with steep, 
rugged slopes and occasional cliffs and huge ledges. There 
are occasional benches on the mountain sides, and here there 
is an accumulation of two or three inches of a black mold, 
resting on the broken sandstone fragments, and covered with a 
growth of locust, oak, and berry vines. 

Owing to the steep and rugged surface of this soil, together 
with its stony character, superficial drainage is rapid and 
thorough, the water rushing in torrents from the mountain 



I.OUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 6$ 

slopes, while as a result of the loose texture and the large 
number of stone fragments in the soil the water passes rapidly 
through it, and there is never an excess of moisture in the 
soil or subsoil. 

On account of the steep and stony nature of the De Kalb 
stony loam little of the type can possibly be cultivated. The 
soil is naturally a very thin one, and is not capable of pro- 
ducing fair yields except in its less stony phases. 

The principal growth on the type is chestnut, oak, and 
some pine. Probably 95 per cent of the type is uncultivated, 
and is valuable only for the timber growth it supports. 
Where cultivated the average yields per acre are as follows: 
Corn, from 10 to 20 bushels; wheat, from 6 to 10 
bushels. Apples and especially peaches do fairly well on the 
mountain phase where not too stony. 

The greater part of the De Kalb stony loam is not adapted 
to agricultural purposes at all, and it is not likely that the 
land will ever be valuable except for forestry. It is locally 
termed "mountain land," and is the poorest agricultural soil 
of the County. 

Porters Clay. 

The Porters clay consists of from 6 to 12 inches of a brown 
or reddish-brown loam, underlain by a heavy red loam or clay 
loam. The type consists of fairly rough mountain land, and 
is very stony, having from 15 to 60 percent of small and large 
schist ^fragments on the surface, some of which are several 
feet in diameter. The soil is light and easy to work wherever 
it is not so stony as to interfere with cultivation. 

This soil is a strictly mountain type and not of great extent. 
It follows the crest and part of the east slope of the Blue 
Ridge Mountains for several miles, extending in a north- 
easterly direction and ending at the areas of sandstone 
formation. 

The type is well drained throughout, while the texture of 
the subsoil is sufficiently heavy to retain considerable moisture 
through quite extended dry spells. The steeper slopes are 
uncultivated, and hence are not subject to erosion. 



66 HISTORY OF 

A considerable proportion of this soil type is under cultiva- 
tion, especially on the broad mountain top. Those areas not 
cultivated are covered with a heavy growth of oak, hickory, 
locust, and walnut. Corn and wheat can be grown on the 
type with fair yields, but little of the latter is grown on 
account of the stony nature of the land. Corn yields from 
20 to 35 bushels, wheat from 8 to 15 bushels, and grass 
and clover from 1 to 2 tons per acre. Irish and sweet 
potatoes give good yields, and fine apples and peaches are 
produced. Peaches are liable to winterkill, and the crop is 
uncertain for this reason. This type is peculiarly adapted to 
fruit growing, and especially to the production of apples. 

Meadow. 

The Meadow of Loudoun is usually a brown silty or sandy 
loam, with a depth of several feet. The type occurs in nar- 
row bands along the larger streams, forming a bottom or low 
terrace a few feet above the mean water level. The nature of 
the soil depends greatly on the surrounding soils, as it is 
formed from sediment of the wash from these types and par- 
takes of their textural characteristics to some extent. 

The type, while low and flat, is generally well enough 
drained for cultivation, although this is somewhat hindered by 
overflows; consequently the land is chiefly used for grazing. 
The soil is alluvial in origin, being built up by successive over- 
flows of the streams. Little of the type is forested. Where 
cultivated it is generally used for corn, which yields from 50 
to 75 bushels an acre. Little wheat is grown, although the 
soil is capable of producing fair yields of this crop. It also 
produces from 2 to 3 tons of hay per acre, and affords excel- 
lent pasturage. The crops are somewhat uncertain, how^ever, 
on account of overflows which sometimes occur after the 
planting season, though in the case of the River the danger 
from flood is usually past before the time for corn planting. 
Where the areas are in grass the floods usually do little dam- 
age. Productiveness is in a great measure maintained by the 
addition of the sediments left by the overflow waters. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. dl 

FLORA AND FAUNA. 

F1.0RA. — Records of the da5'S of early settlement point to a 
scarcity and an inferiority of large timber in I^oudoun (then 
Prince William) and contiguous counties. The responsibility 
for this condition has been traced to the hunters who frequented 
this region prior to its settlement and wantonly set fire to the 
forests in order to destroy underbrush, the better to secure 
their quarries. A comparatively dense and vigorous new 
growth followed the discontinuance of this pernicious practice. 

At the present time, after the encroachment of field and 
pasture for nearly two centuries, a large portion of the county's 
area is still under forest cover. The stand, in the main, is 
somewhat above average size and quality. 

The total value of forest products cut or produced on farms 
in 1899 was $51,351. This includes only the wood, lumber, 
railroad ties, etc., which the farmers cut in connection with 
their ordinary farming operations. The reports of persons 
making lumbering or wood cutting their principal business 
are not included. 

The trees common to Loudoun are four varieties of the 
white oak, i. e., common, swamp, box, and chestnut-leaved, 
the latter, however, appearing only along the margin of the 
Potomac River; black, Spanish, and red oak, chestnut oak, 
peach or willow oak, pin oak; and in the eastern parts of the 
county, black jack, or barren oak, and dwarf oak, hickory, 
black and white walnut, white and j^ellow poplar, chestnut, 
locust, ash, sycamore, wild cherry, red flowering maple, gum, 
sassafras, persimmon, dogwood, red and slippery elm, black 
and white mulberry, aspin (rare), beech, birch, linn, honey- 
locust, sugar maple, sugar nut, yellow and white pine, hem- 
lock, and red cedar. 

Among the smaller trees and shrubs are the white thorn, 
maple-leaved or Virginia thorn (suitable for hedging), haw- 
thorn, wild May cherry, or service berry, water beech, fringe 
tree, red bud, black alder, common alder, sumach, elder, 
laurel, witch-hazel, hazel-nut, papaw, chinkapin, burnish 



68 HISTORY OF 

bush, nine bark, button-bush, honeysuckle, several varieties 
of the whortleberry or huckleberry, and wild gooseberry. 

A few of the brambles met with are the greenbrier, high 
blackberry, dewberry, or low blackberry, and raspberry. 

A list of the vines and creepers would comprise the fox 
grape, three varieties; pigeon, or raccoon grape, chicken 
grape, a wild bitter grape, sarsaparilla, yellow parilla, poison- 
vine, or poison-oak, clematis, trumpet-flower, and wild potato 
vine. 

The medicinal herbs found in Loudoun are the rattlesnake 
root, Seneca snakeroot (also called Virginia snakeroot), many 
varieties of mint, liverwort, red-root. May apple, butterfly- 
weed, milk weed, thorough-stem, trumpet-weed, Indian- 
physic, lobelia inflata , and lobelia cardinalis , golden-rod, skunk- 
cabbage, frost-weed, hoar-hound, and catnip. 

The injurious plants with which the careful farmer must 
contend are the wild garlic, tribby weed, dog fennel, two 
varieties of the common daisy, oxeye daisy, St. John's wort, 
blue thistle, common thistle, pigeon-weed, burdock, broad and 
narrow-leaved dock, poke- weed, clot-bur, three-thorned bur, 
supposed to have been introduced from Spain by the Merino 
sheep, Jamestown or "jimson" weed, sorrel, and, in favorable 
seasons, a heavy growth of lambs quarter and rag-weed. 

Of introduced grasses, Loudoun has red clover, timoth}', 
herd's-grass, orchard-grass, and Lucerne to which last little 
attention is now given. Native grasses are the white clover, 
spear grass, blue grass, fox-tail and crab grass, the two last- 
named being summer or annual grasses. Several varieties of 
swamp or marsh grass flourish under certain conditions, but 
soon disappear with proper drainage and tillage. 

Although some of the wild flowers of Loudoun merit the 
attention of the florist, as a whole they have no commercial 
value or significance and, for this reason, an enumeration of 
the many varieties has not been thought expedient. 

Fauna. — Wild ducks, geese, and turkeys, pheasants (Eng- 
lish and Mongolian), partridges and woodcock are among the 
game fowls of Loudoun, and eagles, crows, buzzards, owls, 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 69 

and hawks among the predatory. The usual list of song- 
birds frequent this region in great numbers and receive some 
protection under the stringent fish and game laws in force 
here. 

Red and gray foxes, raccoons, opossums, woodchucks, 
squirrels, hares and smaller animals are quite general. 

In pioneer days the county abounded in the larger species 
of game common to the forests of North America. Among 
these were the beaver and otter, buffalo, deer, wolf, wild-cat, 
panther, bear, fox, and elk or wapiti {Cervus canadensis)^ 
noble herds of which ranged the mountain sides and valleys 
of this section. 

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.* 

Good roads, always of immeasurable importance to the 
farmer, were early made necessary by the tremendous crops 
of marketable products harvested from Loudoun lands. 
Though this need, in time, became imperative the roads were 
never hastily and imperfectly constructed; they were built 
with an eye single to permanence and with due allowance for 
generations of unintermittent and augmentative traffic. 

These roads yielded their promoters modest dividends, but 
with the completion in I832 of the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Canal, bordering the county just across the Potomac, trans- 
portation to and from Washington (Georgetown) and Alex- 
andria was materially cheapened and the earnings of the 
turnpike companies suffered a corresponding decrease, the 
income, in many cases, being barely sufiBcient to defray the 
expense of maintenance. Tolls are now collected at only two 
points in the County. 

The turnpike craze spread to Loudoun not long after the 
War of Independence and culminated about forty years later. 

*No apology is offered for the omission of vital statistics that might 
and would have been included in this department had earnest appeals 
addressed to State officers and the State Corporation Commission met 
with more courteous and, I might add, dutiful consideration. Not 
the least assistance was vouchsafed by any of them. — The Author. 



70 HISTORY OP 

It wrought a revolution in public travel, relatively nearly as 
great as that brought about by the railway craze in more 
recent years. The corporate names of some of the roads 
constructed through Loudoun before its subsidence were, the 
Goose Creek and Little River Turnpike, Loudoun and Berlin 
(now Brunswick, Md.) Turnpike, Ashby's Gap Turnpike, 
Leesburg Turnpike, Leesburg and Snicker's Gap Turnpike, 
Little River Turnpike and Snicker's Gap Turnpike. Their 
combined authorized capital vStock was $637,325, of which 
amount more than two-thirds was subscribed by individuals, 
the State assuming the balance. 

The system did not originate solely in a local want or de- 
mand along the lines contemplated. Other causes were also 
at the bottom of the movement. The settlement of the County 
was necessarily by progressive though, at times, apparently 
simultaneous steps. First came the settlement and location 
of one or two towns, and the opening of communication 
between them; then the advent of the trapper, hunter, and 
scout into the unsettled portion; then came the land grants 
and the settlement in isolated localities; then the blazed trail 
to the parent towns and to the cabin of the pioneer or the 
outposts; then the drift-ways, cart-v/ays, and the local roads 
winding from cabin to cabin; then the town-ways and county 
roads, with here and there the "provincial" highways. 

Today, the public roads and turnpikes of Loudoun are un- 
questionably better than those of most counties and, in 
obedience to a popular demand, are kept in a fair state of 
repair. One or two of the main-traveled thoroughfares 
would compare favorably with the best rural roads in the 
country. 

Long before the Civil War, Little River was rendered 
navigable from its mouth to Aldie by means of a lock and 
dam system, this and more far-reaching improvements hav- 
ing been undertaken by the "Goose Creek and Little River 
Navigation Company" capitalized at $100,000. The dams 
were destroyed by Federal invaders and never reconstructed. 

Loudoun is traversed by the Washington and Ohio Divi- 
sion of the Southern Railway, which penetrates the County 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 71 

centrally from east to west and furnishes an lUtlet for her 
immense shipments of cattle, grain and misc llaneous prod- 
ucts. No less than twelve stopping points are recognized 
within her limits, at all but three of which commodious 
stations have been erected. 

The original purpose of the promoters was to extend this 
road to the coal-fields of Hampshire County, West Virginia 
(then in Virginia) . The name under which it was incorpo- 
rated was the "Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Rail- 
road." During the Civil War its bridges and tracks were 
destroyed by order of General Lee and for some years after- 
ward Loudoun was without adequate railwa}' communica- 
tion with the outside world. 

The cost of construction between Alexandria and Lees- 
burg, the first division of the work, was $1,538,744. The 
line, many years afterward, was extended to Round Hill and 
still later to Bluemont, at present the Westernmost terminal. 
Stages, affording communication with Winchester and inter- 
mediate towns of the Shenandoah Valley, are operated from 
this point and between Leesburg and Middleburg and Point 
of Rocks. Liveries are conducted in all the important towns. 

The northern edge of the County is in easy communication 
with the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and 
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal just across the Potomac. 

Large steel bridges, spanning the Potomac at Harpers 
Ferry, Brunswick and Point of Rocks, afford convenient 
ingress into West Virginia, Maryland and the not far-distant 
state of Pennsylvania. 

Further communication with the north is made possible by 
a ferry (White's) in constant operation between Loudoun 
and the Maryland shore. 

TOWNS AND VILLAGES. 

Leesburg. 
Leesburg, a fine old town, the county-seat of Loudoun, lies 
at the eastern base of Catoctin Mountain, 2^ miles from the 
Potomac River at Balls Bluff, and 3?^ miles west of Goose 



72 HISTORY OF 

Creek. It is in the northern part of the County, 40 miles 
northwest of Washington, 153 miles in a like direction from 
Richmond, the State capital, within a few miles of the pic- 
turesque Blue Ridge Mountains and the celebrated Valley of 
Virginia, 12 miles from Point of Rocks, Md., and about 22 
miles from historic Harpers Ferry, W, Va, It occupies a high 
and healthy plain, the environs of which are waving and well 
cultivated and delightfully variegated by hill and dale. 

The town derives its name from the lyces, who were among 
the early settlers of the County, and was established by act of 
the General Assembly, in September, 1758, in the thirty-second 
year of the reign of George II. Nicholas Minor, who owned 
sixty acres of land about the court-house, had subdivided this 
tract and some of the lots had been built upon prior to the pas- 
sage of the act. This instrument constituted "the Hon. Philip 
lyudwell IvCe, Esq., Thomas Mason, Esq., Francis Lightfoot 
Lee (father of 'Eight Horse Harry' of subsequent Revolu- 
tionary fame), James Hamilton, Nicholas Minor, Josias Clap- 
ham, ^neas Campbell, John Hugh, Francis Hague, and 
William West, gentlemen," trustees for the newly established 
town. Prior to its establishment it had borne the name 
Georgetown, bestowed in honor of the then reigning English 
monarch. 

*"In its birth and infancy the town was destined to win re- 
nown, for it was first founded as a fort or outpost of the then 
struggling colony of Virginia, as its narrow streets and close, 
little red brick houses still testify, and for many years was the 
most westerly post of the colony. At one time the entire town 
was enclosed by stockades. ..." 

"Following its establishment the little fort became the 
principal outfitting post for the British and colonial forces in 
the French and Indian war. Tradition still fondly points 
to the stone house, famous as the headquarters of General 
Braddock, who, it is claimed, passed through the place on his 
last fatal march to the wilderness; but in the light of 
thorough investigation this claim is found tobe unsubstantiated. 
*Mrs. A. H. Throckmorton in the Richmond Times. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 73 

While a division of his army, under command of the eccentric 
old Sir Peter Halkett, did undoubtedly spend the night at the 
plantation of Nicholas Minor, the principal founder of the town, 
General Braddock is found to have gone in another direction." 

Leesburg is governed by a mayor and common council and 
had at the time of the last government census (1900) a popu- 
lation of l,5l3- An unusual percentage of its people are well 
educated, and all proverbially hospitable. 

The houses, many of which are of brick and stone construc- 
tion, are built in a compact and substantial manner. In the 
town and its environs are many of the most palatial residences 
to be seen in Virginia. There are several well-kept public 
roads leading from the town to the surrounding country seats 
and stock farms, nearly all of which are modernized reminders 
of the old plantation days. 

With an elevation less than most points in the County, Lees- 
burg, nevertheless, shares with them the distinction of being 
unsurpassed for healthfulness and picturesqueness of sur- 
roundings. 

Crossing at right angles, its streets are regular and spacious 
and lighted by electricity. Many of its dwellings and busi- 
ness houses are also equipped with electric lighting facilities, 
power for which is generated at a plant located near Belmont, 
on Goose Creek, and controlled by Leesburg capitalists. In 
almost every quarter of the town are brick and granolithic 
sidewalks, fringed with the usual varieties of shade trees. 

Some of the municipal advantages not already enumerated 
are a sewerage system, a fire department, a public library, police 
protection and a thoroughly modern system of water-works 
of a capacity sufficient to supply the entire corporation with 
absolutely pure water from a noted spring issuing near the 
base of Catoctin Mountain. 

Some of the public buildings are a town hall, one of the 
largest brick edifices in Northern Virginia; a comparatively 
new court-house and a clerk's office,* both venerable structures 



*Prior to l873i the Leesburg Academy. 
45—6 



74 HISTORY OF 

with imposing facades lending them an exquisite air of Colo- 
nialism, the two liberally disposed over a fenced area with 
sloping lawns and umbrageous shade; a brick jail (County) 
containing eight steel cells, commodious residential quarters 
for the jailer and his family and having, as an humanitarian 
feature, a sunny court with towering walls; a remodelled brick 
academy and a colored school, both comprising primary, inter- 
mediate, and high school divisions, and provided with ample 
educational facilities and extensive playgrounds. 

The town has 7 churches representing all the leading denom- 
inations, a Young Men's Christian Association branch, 5 fra- 
ternal orders and a weekly newspaper. Eight trains arrive at 
and depart from Leesburg daily. 

Among the local enterprises are two handsome banking 
houses (the "L,oudoun National Bank" and "Peoples Na- 
tional Bank"), 2 large hotels affording accommodations for 
130 guests, several boarding houses, stores handling every 
class and grade of merchandise, an artificial ice plant with a 
daily capacity of 5 tons, a large race course on the outskirts 
of the town where are held annually a horse show, races and 
other like events, a confectionery and bakery, an ice cream 
factory, a pop factory, two harness factories, a lumber and 
planing mill, 2 private schools, 3 cobblers' establishments, 2 
livery stables, 3 blacksmith shops, 2 furniture houses, 2 under- 
taking establishments, 2 grain elevators, a lime quarry, 3 
wheelwright shops, 2 tinning establishments, a concrete con- 
struction plant, monument works, wood and coal yard. Stand- 
ard Oil Company's branch and packing house. 

Leesburg probably has more than the usual number of res- 
ident physicians, lawyers, and mechanics to be found in towns 
of a corresponding size. 

Roujid Hill. 

Round Hill, a thriving railway town in the western part of 
the County, lies 3 miles east of Bluemont, 3 miles west of 
Purcellville, and 53 miles from the city of Washington. It 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 75 

is the second largest town in Loudoun, has an elevation of 
about 600 feet above mean tide and is in the midst of a rich 
farming region abounding with streams of pure water from 
mountain water-courses. The town's name is derived from a 
conical hill projecting from the base of the Blue Ridge Moun- 
tains, 2 miles away. It has a population of 450, 20 of which 
number are merchants and mechanics, and a newly established 
bank. 

Waterford. 

Waterford, a thriving Quaker settlement, is situated on 
Catoctin Creek in the northern part of the County, 6 miles 
south of Taylorstown, 7 miles northwest of Leesburg, 47 miles 
in a like direction from Washington and 159 miles north of 
Richmond. It was named after the town of Waterford, in 
Ireland, where some of its founders had formerly resided. The 
first house within the town limits was built by one Asa Moore, 
and remains standing at the present day. In common with 
the other towns and villages of the famous Loudoun Valley, 
Waterford is noted for its numerous and inexhaustible wells 
of the purest and best water, bracing air and low mortality 
rate. It has 383 inhabitants, 14 of whom are merchants and 
mechanics. 

Hamilton. 

Hamilton, one of the prettiest towns in the County, is spread 
over a considerable area and occupies one of the highest points 
in the beautiful Loudoun Valley. It is about 46 miles by rail 
from Washington, 3 miles from Purcellville and only a few 
^ miles from both the Catoctin and Blue Ridge mountains, 
walling the valley to the east and west, and is the center of a 
group of seven towns and villages within a radius of 5 miles. 
It has 364 inhabitants, of which number 18 are merchants 
and mechanics. 

Purcellville. 

Purcellville, in the western part of the County with an 
approximate elevation of 500 feet, is about 50 miles from 



76 HISTORY OF 

Washington, 3 miles from both Round Hill and Hamilton, and 
2>^ miles from lyincoln. It is delightfully situated in the center 
of one of the finest agricultural districts in the Loudoun 
Valley and has a population of 3OO, i 7 merchants and me- 
chanics and a national bank. 

Middleburg . 

Middleburg, situated on Goose Creek in the southwestern 
part of Loudoun, is 12 miles from the summit of the Blue 
Ridge at Ashby's Gap, 5 miles west of Aldie, ^ of a mile 
from the Fauquier line, and 16 miles by stage from Leesburg, 
the seat of government. It is a growing and prosperous com- 
munity, elevated and airy and overlooking a broad expanse of 
rich territory. Fourteen of its 296 inhabitants are merchants 
and mechanics. 

Ashburn. 

Ashburn, a railway town in lower Loudoun, formerly known 
as Farmivell, is 34 miles from Washington, 3I miles from 
Alexandria, 4 miles northwest of Sterling, and 6 miles from 
Leesburg. It is in the heart of one of the richest and most 
extensive dairying sections of the State, and has become some- 
what famous as a resort for anglers, the bass fishing in Goose 
Creek, near by, being eminently satisfying and attracting 
many devotees of the sport from Washington and other more 
distant points. 

Bluemont. 

Bluemont, formerly known as Snickersville , is an attractive 
village, snugly and advantageously situated at the south- 
eastern base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 3 miles from 
Round Hill, 54 miles by rail from Washington, and 165 miles 
from Richmond. It is on the western edge of the most densely 
populated section of Loudoun, and boasts modern hotels and 
boarding houses, two liveries, a grain elevator, and many hand- 
some dwellings. Two turnpikes, leading from Washington 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 77 

and Alexandria to Winchester, intersect at this point. Blue- 
mont is a popular summer resort, and lies within a very short 
distance of both the " Bears' Den" and "Raven Rocks," jut- 
ting points on the western slope of the Blue Ridge, from which 
magnificent views may be had of the Shenandoah valley and 
river and the Alleghany and North mountains. The town 
has a population of 200, 14 of which number are merchants 
and mechanics. 

Smaller Towns. 

Other towns, post villages and settlements in the County 
are: Airmont, 2]4, miles fromBluemont, population 25; Aldie, 
on lyittle River, 5 miles from both Middleburg and Oatlands 
and 12 miles from Leesburg, the County seat, population 155, 
7 merchants and mechanics; Arcola,'6 miles from Sterling and 
12 miles from Leesburg, population 100, 4 merchants and 
mechanics; Bebnont Park, a small railway station on the east 
bank of Goose Creek about 4 miles east of Leesburg, formerly 
a picturesque resort and popular excursion point managed by 
the old Richmond and Danville Railroad Company, attracting, 
during the few years of its operation, many thousands of 
visitors; Bloomfield, 7 miles from Round Hill, population 50; 
BritaAn, 8 miles from Purcellville, population 15; Clarkes 
Gap, one of the highest and healthiest points in the County 
and an important shipping point, draining a large extent of 
fertile country, 4 miles west of Leesburg, population 25; 
Conklin, 10 miles from Sterling, population 10; Daysville, 2 
miles from Sterling, population 20; Elva7i, 1 mile from Lov--' 
ettsville, population 18; Evergreen Mills, 7 miles from Lees- 
burg, population 10; Georges Mill, in the extreme northwest- 
ern part of the County; Hillsboro, 5 miles by stage from Pur- 
cellville, population 131.9 merchants and mechanics; Htighes- 
ville, 7 miles from Ivcesburg, population 12; h'ene, on the 
Southern Railway one mile from Hamilton and the railroad 
station for that town, population 20; Leithton, 8 miles from 
Purcellville and Round Hill, population 25; Lenah, 3 miles 



7S HISTORY OF 

west of Areola, population 25; Levy, on Bull Run. 3 miles 
south of Aldie; Lincoln, 2^ miles southeast of Purcellville, in 
the heart of the "Quaker Settlement," population 200, 3 mer- 
chants and mechanics; Lovettsville, 2^ or 3 uiiles south of 
Brunswick, Md., and 7 miles from both Waterford and Har- 
pers Ferry, W. Va., in an industrious and progressive German 
neighborhood, population 97, 16 merchants and mechanics; 
Luckets, 5 miles from Point of Rocks, Maryland, and 7 miles 
from lyeesburg, population 50, 8 merchants and mechanics; 
Lmtette, 4 miles south of Areola, population 10; Mahala, 2 
miles from Ashburn, population 15; Mechanicsville; Moimtain 
Gap, 4% miles by stage from lycesburg, population 25; Mount 
Gilead, a centrally and charmingly situated village on Catoc- 
tin Mountain about 8 miles respectively from the towns of 
I<eesburg, Middleburg and Aldie, population 50; Mouniville, 
a small settlement in a neighborhood abounding with best 
quality lime and other minerals, 2^ miles southeast of Philo- 
mont and about \% miles from both the waters of Goose 
Creek and Beaver Dam, population 25; Mo7'risonville, 6 miles 
by stage from Brunswick, Maryland, and 4 miles from Lov- 
ettsville, population 20; Neersville, 5 miles by stage from Har- 
pers Ferry, W. Va., population 25; North Fork, 6 miles from 
Purcellville, population 26; Oatlands, bordering on Catoctin 
Mountain 7 miles southwest of Leesburg and 5 miles north of 
Aldie, population 20; Pceonian Springs, 1 mile northwest of 
Clarke's Gap, population 112, 6 merchants and mechanics; 
Paxso7i, an exceptionally healthy community 2 miles east of 
Bluemont, population 1 5 ; Philomo7it, a Quaker settlement lying 

3 miles southeast of Silcott Springs in a fertile and wealthy 
wheat-growing neighborhood, population 161; Royville, 2 
miles north of Areola; Ryan, 2 miles south of Ashburn, popu- 
lation 50; Silcott Springs, a one-time noted resort 3>^ miles 
southwest of Purcellville, population 25; Sycoline, between 

4 and 5 miles south of Leesburg; Stumptown, 2 miles from 
lyUckets, population 20; Taylorstown, 3 miles southwest of 
Point of Rocks, Md., population 50; Trapp, 5 miles from Blue- 
mont, population 36; U?iiso7i, 6 miles from Bluemont and 9 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 



79 



miles from Purcellville, population 100, } merchants and me- 
chanics; Watson, 9 miles from Leesburg, population 10; 
Waxpool, 2}i miles north of Royville and 8 miles from lyces- 
burg, population 25; Welbourne, about 5 miles northeast of 
Upperville, in Fauquier county; Wheatland, ^vsx\\^sixo\n.\>o\h. 
Hamilton and Purcellville, population 25; Willard, 5 miles 
southwest of Herndon, in Fairfax county, and Woodburn, 3 
miles from Leesburg, population 15- 





lattBttraL 



AREA AND FARMING TABULATIONS. 

The area of lyoudoun County is variously reckoned at 46O, 
468, 495, 504, 510, 519, 520, and 525 square miles. The 
approximate accuracy of any single estimate in this confused 
assortment can not easily be determined, none, so far as is 
known, having been ofl&cially confirmed. Yardley Taylor, 
who, in 1853, made a most careful survey of the County, fixed 
its area at 525 square miles. By far the most trustworthy 
authority in this and certain other connections, his findings 
have been adopted with little uncertainty or hesitation. 

Of this number, 207 square miles lie east of Catoctin 
Mountain and are of the upper secondary formation, while 
the remaining 3I8 square miles to the westward are of primi- 
tive formation. 

The longest line across the County is 35 miles, and extends 
from the lower end of Lowe's Island at the old mouth of 
Sugarland Run, to the summit of the Blue Ridge at Ashby's 
Gap; the second longest, 34 miles, extends from the corner of 
Jefferson County, West Virginia, at the margin of the Potomac 
River below Harpers Ferry, to the corner of Fairfax County 
on Bull Run, within half a mile of Sudley Springs in Prince 
William County. 

(81) 



82 



HISTORY OF 



Within the limits of Loudoun are included 313.902* acres 
of the finest farm land to be found in any county of the State. 
The farms number 1,948, the average size being 162 acres. 
They are smallest in the northwestern portion of the county 
and of moderate size in the central portions, the largest 
occurring in the southern and eastern portions. In I9OO, 
1,754, or 90 per cent, were operated by white farmers, and 
194, or 10 per cent, operated by colored farmers. 

Table I. — Summary by Decades of the Improved and Unhnproved Land 
in Farms, with per cent of Increase and Decrease. 





Acres of Land in Farms. 


Per cent of Increase. 


Census 

Year. 


Total. 


Im- 
proved. 


Unim- 
proved. 


Total 
Land. 


Im- 
proved 
Land. 


Unim- 
proved 
Land. 


1900 


313 902 


^i;i 874 


62,028 
59,193 
66,478 
74,403 
75,876 
86,221 


6.4 
*1.3 

8.2 

*6.7 

.5 


6.9 

1.4 
15.1 
*8.3 

5.7 


4 8 


1890 


294,896 2-^';.70^ 


*11. 


1880 


298,869 
276,291 
296,142 
294,675 


232,391 

201,888 
220,266 
208,454 


*10 7 


1870 


*1.9 


i860 


*1.2 


1850 













*Decrease. 



Th:; most striking fact to be noted concerning the reported 
farm areas is the comparatively great decrease in the decade 
i860 to 1870. This was, of course, one of the disastrous 
effects of the Civil War, from which the South, in general, 
after more than forty-five years, has not yet fully recovered, 
as is shown by the fact that in some of the South Atlantic 
states the reported acreage of farm land in I9OO was less than 
it was in i860. 

A continuous increase is shown in the area of improved 
farm land except in the decade 1 860-1870. The decrease in 
the amount under cultivation, reported in the census of 

*It will be understood that the total land in farms by no means equals 
the total area of the County. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 83 

1870, was due to conditions growing out of the change in 
the system of labor which prevented a complete rehabilitation 
of agricultural industry. 

Only three other of the 100 Virginia counties reported 
larger improved areas in 1900, viz: Fauquier, 291.734 acres; 
Pittsylvania, 280,456 and Augusta, 276,459. 

TabIvE II. — Number of Farms by Decades: Summary, 18^0 to igoo. 

1900 1,948 1870 1,238 

1890 1,818 i860 1,207 

1880 1,^41 1850 1,256 

Comparison of the number of farms reported in I85O with 
the number at the last census shows an addition in fifty years 
of 692 farms. 

The great increase between I87O and I88O is seen at a 
glance. During this period the large plantations were steadily 
undergoing partition, in consequence of the social and indus- 
trial changes in progress after the Civil War. 

Tabi^e III. — Fartns Classified by Area — igoo. 

Under 3 acres 22 100 and under 175 acres 396 

3 and under 10 acres 155 175 and under 260 acres 324 

10 and under 20 acres 171 260 and under 500 acres 274 

20 and under 50 acres 246 500 and under 1,000 acres 88 

50 and under 100 acres 264 1,000 acres and over 8 



Table IV. — Number of Farms of Specified Tenures, June /, igoo. 

Owners 1,116 Managers 48 

Partowners 173 Cash tenants 232 

Owners and tenants 18 Share tenants 36I 



Total 1,948 



POPULATION. 

The persistent high price of Loudoun lands has discour- 
aged increase of population by immigration. Indeed, in more 
than eighty-five years, except for the slight fluctuations of 



34 HISTORY OF 

certain decades, there has been no increase through any 
medium. 

The last census (1900) fixed Loudoun's population at 
21,948, of which number 16,079 were whites, 5,869 negroes, 
ind the remaining 101 foreign born. This aggregate is even 
less than that shown by the census of 1820, which gave the 
:ounty a population of 22,702, or 754 more than in 1900. 

The succeeding schedules, giving complete statistics of popu- 
lation for lyoudoun County by the latest and highest author- 
ity, were taken from United States Census reports, collected 
n 1900 and published in 1902. 

Population, Dwellings, and Families: 

igoo. Private Families. 

Population 21,948 Number 4,195 

Dwellings 4,157 Population 21,690 

Families 4,231 Average size 5-2 

Private Families Occupying Owned and Hired and Free and Encum- 
bered Homes, igoo. 

rotal private families 4,195 

Farm Homes Owned. Other Homes Owned. 

Free 959 Free 622 

Encumbered 257 Encumbered 147 

Unknown 120 Unknown 81 

Hired 648 Hired 1,169 

Unknown 7 Unknown 185 



Total 1,991 Total 2,204 



Native and Foreign Born and White and Colored Population, Classified 

by Sex, igoo. 

Native born. Native White — Foreign Parents. 

Male 10,634 Male 114 

Female 11,213 Female 121 

Foreign born. Foreign White. 

Male 59 Male 58 

Female 42 Female 42 

Native White — Native Parents. Total Colored. 

Male 7,583 Male 2,938 

Female 8,l6l Female 2,931 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 



85 



In i860, one year before the outbreak of the Civil War, the 
County held within its boundaries 21,774 souls: 15,021 white, 
5,501 slave, and 1,252 free colored. In number of slaves at 
this period I^oudoun ranked thirty-sixth in the list of Virginia 
counties which then also included the counties now in West 
Virginia. This number was distributed amongst 670 slave- 
holders in the following proportions: 



1 slave 124 

2 slaves 84 

3 slaves 61 

4 slaves 83 

5 slaves 46 

6 slaves 39 

7 slaves , 35 

8 slaves 27 



9 slaves 22 

10 and under 15 slaves 80 

1 5 and under 20 slaves 36 

20 and under 30 slaves 23 

30 and under 40 slaves 4 

40 and under 50 slaves 4 

50 and under 70 slaves 1 

100 and under 200 slaves 1 



The following table gives the population of Loudoun 
County decennially, from and including the first ofiicial census 
of 1790: 



1900 21,948 

1890 23,274 

1880 23,634 

1870 20,929 

1860 21,774 



1840 20,431 

1830 21,939 

1820 22,702 

1810 21,338 

1800 20,523 



1850 22,079 1790 18,952 

The reports of population by magisterial districts given 
below, with a single exception, show an appreciable decrease 
between the years 1890 and 1900: 



Broad Run district.. 

Jefferson district 

Leesburg district.... 
Lovettsville district 

Mercer district 

Mt. Gilead district.. 



1900. 



1890. 



3,309 


3,463 


3,106 


3.307 


4,299 


4,246 


3,104 


3,210 


4,010 


4,570 


4,120 


4,478 



86 



HISTORY OF 



The following incorporated towns for the same period are 
charged with a corresponding decrease in the number of their 
inhabitants: 



Hamilton ... 
Hillsboro.... 
Leesburg.... 
Ivovettsville 
Middleburg 
Waterford... 




407 

156 

1,650 



These circumstances of fluctuation and actual decrease 
might appear singular if it could not be shown that practi- 
cally the same conditions obtain elsewhere in the State and 
Union, or wherever agriculture is the dominant industry. 
Especially is this true of the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, 
Prince William, and Fairfax, in Virginia, and Jefferson, in 
West Virginia. All these farming communities adjoin Lou- 
doun and exhibit what might be called corresponding fluctu- 
ations of population between the above-named periods. 

A decrease then in the population of any of these districts 
is obviously due, in a large measure, to the partial or total 
Failure of the crops which causes the migration of a portion 
3f the population to large cities or other parts of the country, 
[f the failure occurs immediately preceding a census, the 
decrease shown will, of course, be large. 

As another contributing cause, it can be positively stated 
:hat the disfavor in which agriculture is held by the young 
nen of lyoudoun, who seek less arduous and more lucrative 
employment in the great cities of the East, is, in part, re- 
sponsible, if not for the depletion, certainly for the stagnation 
)f the county's population. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 87 

The white population of lyoudoun County in 1880, 1890, and 
1900 was as follows: 

Census. Popnlation. 

1880 16,391 

1890 16,696—305 increase. 

1900 16,079—617 decrease. 

The negro population of Loudoun County for the same 
periods was: 

Census. Population. 

1880 7,243 

1890 6,578—665 decrease. 

1900 5,869—709 decrease. 

The figures show that the negro population has steadily 
decreased, while the white population increased from 1880 to 
1890, and decreased from 1890 to I9OO. The proportion of 
decrease for the negroes was much greater than for the whites. 
As the occupations of the negroes are almost entirely farming 
and domestic services, crop failures necessarily cause migra- 
tion to other localities, and as Washington and Baltimore are 
not far distant and offer higher wages and sometimes more 
attractive occupations, there can be no doubt that the decrease 
is principally due to the migration to those cities. 



INDUSTRIES. 

Agriculture, in many of its important branches, is by far 
Ivoudoun's leading industry, and is being annually benefited 
by the application of new methods in cultivation and harvest- 
ing. The farmers are thrifty and happy and many of them 
prosperous. 

During the Civil War agriculture received a serious set- 
back, as the County was devastated by the contending armies, 
but by hard work and intelligent management of the people 
the section has again been put upon a prosperous footing. 

The agricultural methods in use throughout the County 
are very uniform, notwithstanding the fact that there are a 
comparatively large number of soil types in the area. 



88 HISTORY OF 

A system of general farming, with few variations, is prac- 
ticed, although some of the soils are much better adapted to 
the purpose than are other soils of the area. The system of 
rotation practiced consists of drilling in wheat and timothy 
seed together on the corn stubble in the fall, and sowing 
clover in the following spring. The wheat is harvested in the 
earh"- summer, leaving the timothy and clover, which, after 
obtaining a good growth, is grazed or cut the next year for 
hay. This land is then plowed, and the following spring corn 
is planted, to be followed by wheat again the next fall, thus 
completing the rotation. 

Loudoun's gently sweeping hills and broad valleys support 
great herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, and yield immense 
crops of corn, wheat, oats, and other cereals. More corn is 
produced and probably more live stock marketed bylyoudoun 
than by any other of the 100 counties of Virginia. 

The wheat is either sold for shipment or ground into flour 
by the many mills of the County, which mainly supply the 
home demand. The surplus is shipped chiefly to Washington 
and Baltimore. The major portion of the corn is used locally 
for feeding beef cattle, dairy stock, and work animals. Hay 
is shipped in large quantities and the rye, oats, and buck- 
wheat are mostly consumed at home. Considerable pork is 
fattened in the County and many hundred head of cattle are 
annually grazed to supply the Washington and Baltimore 
markets. 

A Government statistician was responsible for the follow- 
ing statement, based, no doubt, on the creditable showing 
made by Loudoun in the census of 1880: "Taken as a whole, 
probably the best farming in the State is now done in this 
(Loudoun) County." Of Virginia counties, it stood, at that 
time, first in the production of corn, butter, eggs, and wool, 
and in numbers of milch cows and sheep, and second only to 
Fauquier in the number of its stock cattle. 

The breeding of superior stock and horses is an important 
branch of the County's agricultural activities. A contributor 
to Country Life iyi America, in an article entitled "Country 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 89 

Life in Loudoun County," says of it: "And the raising of 
animals is here not the fad of men of wealth who would pla}- 
at country life. It is a serious business, productive of actual 
profit and a deep-seated satisfaction as continuous and well 
grounded as I have ever seen taken by men in their vocation." 

The wealthier class of citizens of course specialize, each 
according to his personal choice. One, with 1,500 acres, ail 
told, does a large dairying business and raises registered Dor- 
set horn sheep, large white Yorkshire swine, registered Guern- 
se)'- cattle, and Percheron horses. Another, with a like acre- 
age, specializes in hackneys. A third, on his 3OO or more 
acres, raises thoroughbreds and Irish hunters. A fourth, 
with 1,000 acres, fattens cattle for market and breeds Perche- 
ron horses, thoroughbreds, hackneys, and cattle. A fifth, 
owning several thousand acres, fattens cattle for export. A 
half dozen others, on farms ranging from 200 to 1,000 acres, 
raise thoroughbreds or draft animals. These are the special- 
ties; on all the farms mentioned the owners have their sec- 
ondary interests. 

Some of the farmers whose capital will not permit the pur- 
chasing of high-priced breeding stock, have long been 
engaged in the business of finishing cattle for the market, ani- 
mals being shipped from Tennessee, West Virginia, and else- 
where to be fattened on the wonderful grasses of Loudoun 
County. These steers are pastured from several months to 
two years, or according to their condition and the rapidity 
with which they fatten. 

Sheep are to be found on most every large farm and are 
kept for both wool and mutton. Buyers visit these farms 
early in the winter and contract to take the lambs at a cer- 
tain time in the spring, paying a price based on their live 
weight. When far enough advanced they are collected and 
shipped to eastern markets. 

The rapid growth of near-by cities and the development of 
transportation facilities have exerted a great influence in the 
progress of the dairy industry in Loudoun County, increasing 
the demand for dairy produce, making possible the delivery 



90 Ul STORY OF 

of such produce in said cities at a profit to the farmer, and 
thereby iuduoing- many to adopt dairy farming as a specialty 
instead of foHowing it as incidental to general agriculture. 

The dairy cows in Loudoun, June 1, 1SXX">. numbered S.SOI. 
of which 7.8S2, or 02 per cent were on farms, and 68 1, or 8 
per cent, were in bams and enclosures elsewheie. 

If the number of dairy cows. June I, l^XX^, be taken as a 
basis, the five most important Virginia counties arranged in 
order of rank are as follows: Z^>m/<>ww, 8,563: Augusta. 7,898; 
Rockingham. 7.312; Bedford. 6.951: and Washington. 6.792. 

If prime consideration be given to the gallons of milk pro- 
duced on farms only in lv'^99. the counties rank in the follow- 
ing order: /.c'.v.A'//;/. ^. 736.^82; Fairfax, 3.3IO.09O; Bedford. 
3.244,Si.XV Rockingham, 3.l4l.Oi.Xi: and Augusta. 2.99^.928. 

If greatest weight be given to the farm value of dairy 
produce, the order is as follows: Fairfax. S>01.007; Henrico. 
$247,428: LiK'uA^ir'i, $242,221; Pittsylvania, $200,174. and 
Betiford. $194,560. 

From every point of view but the last. Loudoun ranked as 
the leading dairy county of \'irginia. The relative rank of 
other ue.ir competitors varied according to the basis of arrange- 
ment. The value of dairy produce is materially influenced 
by nearness to markets and also by the average production 
per farm, and these factors assisted in modifying the rank of 
Loudoun with reference to farm values of dairy produce. 

The good prices obtained for apples during recent years have 
led some to plant this fruit on a larger scale than heretofore, and 
the result is so far quite gratifying. Apples do well on most 
of the soils of Loudoun. The best are sold to buyers who 
ship to large markets. The poorer qualities are kept for home 
consumption, used for cider and fed to hogs. Pears are grown 
iu sm.ill quantities throughout the County. Peaches do well 
on most of the soils, but yield irregularly on account of frosts. 
All indigenous vegetables succeed well, but are mostly grown 
for home consumption, market gardens being conspicuously 
scarce. 

Hosts of summer boarders cive to Loudoun a large trau- 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 91 

sient population requiring for its accommodation numerous 
hotels and countless boarding houses. This trade brings con- 
siderable money into the County and is a factor in its pros- 
perity not to be ignored. 

vScattered over L,oudoun may be found great numbers of 
small industries, many of them employing .steam, water, or 
motor power. These comprise grist mills, grain elevators, 
quarries, canneries, packing houses, saw mills, an artificial ice 
plant, and miscellaneous enterpri.ses. Though comparatively 
insignificant taken singly, viewed collectively they show an 
aggregate of energy and thrift wholly commendable. 

Several of Loudoun's more important enterprises were 
launched subsequent to the last general census and this cir- 
cumstance renders its reports of manufactures, at no time com- 
plete or entirely reliable, of uncertain value as a symposium 
of the County's manufacturing interests at the present time. 
However, they are the latest reports obtainable and constitute 
the only official statistical exhibit of this subordinate source 
of wealth. They afford at lea.st a partial insight into the 
pre.sent status of the manufacturing interests of Loudoun and, 
to this end, are reprinted below: 

Number of establishments 1f)4 

Number of proprietors and firm members 197 

Capital: Expenses: 

Land $25,957 Fuel and rent ot power 

Buildings 79,350 and heat |8,811 

Machinery, etc 104,402 Miscellaneous 12,935 

Cash and sundries 141,548 Cost of materials used... 424,538 



Total $351,257 Total $446,284 

Value of products $638,136 

FARM VALUES. 

The tables appearing under this and the two succeeding 
kindred headings were con.structed from the latest general 
census reports, and are a most complete and trustworthy 
statistical exhibit of the agricultural resources and products 
of Loudoun County. 



92 



HISTORY OF 



TabIvE I. — Value of all farm property, including implements and ma- 
chinery and live stock, with increase and decrease, and per cent of 
increase and decrease, by decades: Suinmary 1850 to igoo. 



Census year. 



Value of all farm 
property. 



1900.. 
1890.. 
1880.. 
I870t 
1860. 
1850.. 



511,056,109 00 
10,084,650 00 
10,814,381 00 

12,252,017 00 
11,928,830 00 

9,482,757 00 



Increase in 
decade. 



$971,459 00 

t729,731 00 

tl, 437, 636 00 

323,187 00 

2,446,073 00 



Per cent 

of 
increase. 



9.6 

i6.7 

til. 7 

2.7 

25.7 



Average 

value per 

farm. 



155,675 62 

5,547 11 

5,874 19 

9,896 62 

9,883 04 

7,549 97 



tValues in gold. ^Decrease. 

An especially great increase in the total value of farm prop- 
erty will be noted in the decade from I85O to i860. Then 
followed the Civil War with its great destruction of farm 
property, and from this disaster the County did not fully 
recover before I89O. 

The average valae per acre of all farm property in L,ou- 
doun increased from $32.18 in I85O to $35.22 in 1890. 

TabIvE II. — Value of farms with improvements, including buildings, 
with increase and per cent of increase, by decades: Summary 18^0 to 
I goo. 



Census 
year. 


Value of Increase by 
farms. j decade. 


Per cent 

of 
increase. 


Average 

value 
per farm. 


Average 

value 
per acre. 


1900 


19,138,560 00 ^i^lS.SlO 00 


6.0 
t9.6 

tl2.4 

3.5 

25.9 


|4,691 25 
4,741 33 
5,177 22 
8,785 95 
8,706 06 
6,647 59 


$29 11 


1890 


8,619,730 00 

9,531,254 00 

10,877,006 00 

10,508,211 00 

8,349,371 00 


t911,524 00 

tl, 345, 752 00 

368,795 00 

2,158,840 00 


29 23 


1880 


31 89 


I870t 

i860 


39 37 

35 48 


1850 


28 33 











lvalues in gold. ^Decrease. 



In 1900 there were only two counties of Virginia with 
higher farm values than Loudoun. They were Rockingham, 
with $11,984,440, and Augusta, with $11,464,120. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 93 

Table 111.— Value of land and buildings, with the per cent of the total 
represented by the value of buildings, fune /, 1900. 

Land and improvements (except buildings) $6,649,690 00 

Buildings.... 2,4 88,870 00 

Total $9,138,560 00 

Per cent in buildings 37.4 



Table IV. — Number of farms and number and per cent of those with 
buildings, fune i, igoo, with average values of land and buildings. 

Number of farms: 

Total 1>948 

With buildings ^.933 

Per cent with buildings 99.2 

Average value of — 

Land, per farm f3.414 00 

Laud, per acre 21 18 

Buildings, per farm 1,278 00 

Buildings, per farm with buildings 1,288 00 

Table Y .— Total and average value per farm of farm implements and 
machinery, with increase and decrease and per cent of increase and 
decrease in the total value, by decades: Summary 1850 to 1900. 



Census j-ear. 



Value of farm 
implements 

and 
machinery. 



Increase 

by 
decade. 



Per cent 

of 
increase. 



Average 

value per 

farm. 



1900 $295,910 00 

1890 192,910 00 

1880 j 183,227 00 

I870t 206,700 00 

1860 238,264 00 

1850 195,794 00 



|t03,000 00 

9,683 00 

t23,473 00 

$31,564 00 

42,470 00 



53.4 

5.3 

ill. 4 

t13.2 
21.7 



$151 90 
106 11 
99 53 
166 96 
197 40 
155 89 



lvalues in gold. |Decrease. 



The percentage of increase was least for the decade I88O to 
1890. After 1870 the farmers did not, until 1900, report as 
large investments in machinery as they did prior to the war. 

Only two other Virginia counties reported higher values 
of farming implements and machinery in I9OO. They were 
Augusta, with $439,090, and Rockingham, with $436,340. 



94 



HISTORY OF 



LIVE STOCK. 

Vabies. 

The total value of the live stock 07i farms only , June 1, 
1900, was $1,621,639, or 14.7 per cent of $11,056,109, the 
reported value of all farm property. Of the live stock value, 
domestic animals, worth $1,556,935, constituted 96 per cent; 
poultry, worth $58,276, 3.6 per cent; and bees, worth $6,428, 
.4 per cent. 

Ta-BZ,^!.— Reported value of live stock on farms with increase and de- 
crease and per cent of increase and decrease, by decades^ and average 
values per farm and acre. 



Census year. 



1900 $1,621,639 00 

1890 1 1,272,010 GO 

1880 1 1,099,900 00 

I870t ! 1,168,311 00 

1860 j 1,182,355 00 

1850 937,592 00 



Increase of 
value. 



1349,629 00 
172 110 00 
t68,411 00 
J14,044 00 
244,763 00 



Per cent 

of 
increase. 



27.5 
15.6 

t5.9 
tl.2 
26.1 



Average 

value 
per farm. 



$832 46 
699 68 
597 45 
943 71 
979 58 
746 49 



Average 

value 

per acre. 



5 17 
4 31 

3 68 

4 23 
3 99 
3.18 



■f-Values in gold. jDecrease. 

Animals Sold and Slaughtered. 

The census enumerators and special agents secured reports 
of the amounts received from the sale of live animals in 1899, 
and of the value of animals slaughtered on farms. With 
reference to reports of sales, they were instructed to deduct 
from the amount received from sales the amount paid for 
animals purchased. 

Table II. — Receipts from sales of live animals and value of animals 
slaughtered on farms, in 1899, with averages and number of farms 
reporting. 

Farms reporting domestic animals 1,911 

Amount of sales $392,852 00 

Average amount of sales per farm 205 57 

Value of animals slaughtered 109,618 00 

Average value of animals slaughtered per farm 57 36 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 95 

Neat Cattle. 

The total number of neat cattle in Loudoun County re- 
ported June 1, 1900, was 30,277, of which 29,432 or 97.2 per 
cent were on farms, and 845 or 2.8 per cent in barns and 
inclosures elsewhere. 

Fauquier, with 34,098, led all counties in the number of 
neat cattle, Loudoun ranking second, with 30,277. In the 
number of dairy cows, Loudoun headed the list of Virginia 
counties with 8,563, or 665 more than its nearest competitor, 
Augusta county. 

Of calves, Augusta reported 5,476; Rockingham, 5,4l6; 
"Washington, 4,177, and Lotidoun, 4,090. 

Table III. — Number of Heifers and Cows on Farms, fu7ie i, jgoo, with 

Percentages. 

Heifers 1 and under 2 years 1,917 

Dairy cows 2 years and over 7,882 

Other cows 2 years and over , 588 

Total 10,387 

Per cent: 

Heifers 18.5 

Dairy cows 75.9 

Other cows 5.6 

Dairy Products. 

Table IV. — Gallons of milk produced on farms in i8gg, and gallons 
sold and estimated gallons consumed on the farm for specified pur- 
poses. 

Produced 3,736,382 

Sold 875,780 

Utilized in the production of — 

Butter 2,198,542 

Cream sold 181,566 

Consumed on farms: 

Total 2,380,108 

Per farm reporting milk 1,321 

Uses not reported 480,494 

The reported quantity of butter produced on farms in 1899 
was 628,155 pounds, an average of 349 pounds per farm re- 
porting, and an increase of 12.4 per cent over the production 
in 1889. 330,785 pounds were sold during the year I899. 



96 HISTORY OF 

The four counties of Virginia which produced the greatest 
quantity of butter on farms were, in the order named, 
Bedford, 727,680 poimds; Rockingham, 658,063; Augusta, 
633,360, and Loudoun, 628,155. 

Steers. 

Of the 26,187 neat cattle 1 year old and over in Loudoun 
June 1, 1900, 14,597, or 55-7 per cent, were steers. Of this 
number a few only were working oxen, as the great majority 
were kept exclusively for beef. 

HoiseSy Mtilcs, Etc. 

The number of horses reported on Loudoun farms in 1900 
comprised 797 colts under 1 year old; 1,048 horses 1 and under 
2 years, and 7,722 horses 2 years and over. The numbers not 
on farms were, for the three classes named, 22, I3, and 684, 
respectively. There was, therefore, a total for Loudoun 
County of 8,406 work horses, and 1,880 too young for work, 
making a grand total of 10,286 horses, of which 93 per cent 
were on farms and 7 per cent in barns and inclosures else- 
where. 

Oaly two counties of Virginia, i. <?., Augusta and Rocking- 
ham, reported more horses than Loudoun, and the last named 
Couatj;- led all in number of colts. 

The total number of mules of all ages in the County in 
1900 was 109. 

Sheep, Goats, and Swhie. 

There were reported in Loudoun June 1, 1900, 31,092 sheep, 
of which 15.319 were lambs under one year, 15,040 ewes one 
year and over, and 733 rams and wethers one year and over. 
All but 0.2 per cent of that number were on farms. 

Loudoun headed the list of Virginia counties in number of 
lambs under one year and ranked second in number of ewes 
one year arid over. 

The total number of goats of all ages in Loudoun June 1, 
1900, was 20. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 97 

The total number of swine of all ages June 1, 1900, was 
17,351, of which 15,554, or 89.6 per cent, were on farms an 
1,797, or 10.4 per cent, in barns and inclosures elsewhere. 

Domestic Wool. 

Tazewell headed the list of Virginia counties in I9OO in 
both number and weight of fleeces shorn, and was followed by 
Loudoun with a total of 15,893 fleeces, weighing, unwashed, 
87,410 pounds. Almost double this amount in pounds was 
sheared in the fall of I879 and spring of 1880. 

Poultry and Bees. 

The total value of all the poultry raised on Loudoun farms 
in 1899 was $114,313, an average value per farm of $58.68. 

The number of chickens three months old and over, includ- 
ing guinea fowls, on farms in Loudoun County June 1, 1900, 
was 132,627; turkeys. 7,218; ducks, 2,171, and geese, 1,036. 

The total value of all poultry on hand, including the value 
of all young chicks unreported, as well as that of the older 
fowls, was $58,276, an average of $29-92 per farm reporting. 

Shenandoah was the banner county of Virginia in egg pro- 
duction, reporting 1,159,000 dozens; Rockingham ranked 
second, with 1,150,500 dozens, and Lozidoun third, with 
771,780 dozens, the fourth highest competitor, Augusta 
county, lacking 60,580 dozens of this last number. 

Of Virginia counties at the last census Loudoun ranked 
third in the number of chickens on farms, third in number of 
turkeys, third in value of poultry products in 1899, and 
second in value of poultry on hand June 1, 1900. 

There were in the County June 1, 1900, 2,225 swarms of 
bees, valued at $6,428. They produced the same year 24,970 
pounds of honey and 1,110 pounds of wax. 



98 HISTORY OF 



SOIL PRODUCTS. 

The total and average values of Loudoun's farm products 
of 1899, with percentages, are set forth in the following 
table: 

Value of products: 

Fed to live stock $1,018,434 00 

Not fed to live stock 1,817,414 00 

Total '|'2,83S,848 00 

Per cent not fed to value of farm property 16.4 

Average value per farm: 

Fed to live stock fS23 00 

Not fed to live stock 933 00 

Total $1,456 00 

Average value per acre: 

Products fed f3 24 

Products not fed 5 79 

Average value per acre of improved land: 

Products fed $4 04 

Products not fed 7 22 



Corn and Wheat. 

Of the 100 counties in Virginia, Loudoun ranked third in 
corn acreage in 1899, reporting 46,248 acres, and, the same 
year, headed the list in the production of corn with 1,538,860 
bushels, an excess of 350,830 bushels over its nearest competi- 
tor, Fauquier county, which had planted in corn 98I more 
acres. 

Loudoun ranked third in wheat area in 1899, Augusta 
taking the lead in area as well as in production. The next 
three counties in the order of production were Rockingham, 
Shenandoah, and Loudou7i, the product of the last-named 
being 447,660 bushels. The same order prevailed in I89O. 

Oats, Rye, and Buckwheat. 

The area reported under oats in 19OO was 765 acres and the 
product 13,070 bushels. In 1890,4,504 acres were planted 
in this crop and produced 69,380 bushels. No barley was re- 
ported in 1899. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 99 

The reported area under rye in 1900 was 597 acres and the 
yield 5,560 bushels. The preceding census reported 1,830 
acres and a product of 13,137 bushels. 

lyoudoun reported but two acres of buckwheat under culti- 
vation in 1899, as against 232 acres in I879. The yield at the 
last census was only 12 bushels, and in l879, 2,338 bushels. 

Hay and Forage Crops. 

The total area in clover in 1899 was 1,555 acres and the 
yield 1,598 tons. Loudoun reported only 2 acres planted in 
alfalfa or L,ucern and a corresponding number of tons. The 
total area sown in millet and Hungarian grasses was 70 acres 
and the product d>6 tons. Twelve thousand four hundred and 
ninetj^-five acres were planted in other tame and cultivated 
grasses ia 1899, and 11,364 tons cut therefrom. The principal 
grass included under this designation is timothy. In grains 
cut green for hay Loudoun reported 1,342 acres under culti- 
vation in 1899 and a product of 1,503 tons. 

The reported acreage in forage crops in l899 was 867 and 
the product 2,473 tons. The principal crops included under 
this head are corn and sorghum cane cut green for forage. 
The production of Loudoun exceeded the tonnage of every 
other county in the State. The report of the tonnage of the 
cornstalks cut where the crop had been allowed to mature for 
the grain was 21,614 tons. 

Miscellaneous Crops, Etc. 

Four hundred and eighty-four acres planted in miscella- 
neous crops in I9OO produced 33,312 bushels. 

Seven hundred and twenty-nine acres were devoted to mis- 
cellaneous vegetables (exclusive of Irish and sweet potatoes, 
and onions), and the product valued at $41,136. 

From the 11 acres devoted to sorghum cane, 7 tons were 
sold and 789 gallons of syrup produced. 

The number of square feet of land under glass used for 
agricultural purposes June 1, 1900, was 48,310. 



00 



HISTORY OF 
Orchard Fruits, Etc. 



The reported value of the orchard products of 1899 was 

51,363. 

The following table shows the number of each class of 
rchard trees of bearing age, June 1, 1900, with products by 
ushels: 



Trees. 



pple 

each and nectarine 

ear 

herry 

lum 

pricot 

nclassified orchard fruits 



Number of 


Number of 


trees. 


bushels 


grown. 


83,027 




195,406 


22,446 




3,900 


4,983 




2,828 


4,179 




3,930 


1,589 




534 


117 




30 


42 




20 



The farms of Loudoun produced in 1899 2,304 barrels of 
ider, 388 barrels of vinegar, and 13,530 pounds of dried and 
vaporated fruits. 

Small Fruits, Etc. 

The total value of small fruits was $3)574, the number of 
cres under cultivation 40, and the product 62,280 quarts. 

There were in lyoudoun June 1, I9OO, 9,742 grapevines of 
earing age. They produced in 1899, 171,921 pounds of grapes, 
rom part of which jdeld were made 766 gallons of wine. 

The number of pecan, Persian or English walnut and other 
ut trees of bearing age reported was 35- 

Flowers, Or7ianiental Plants, Etc. 

The total area devoted to flowers and ornamental plants for 
ommercial purposes in 1899 was eight acres, the amount of 
ales therefrom $15,400, and the square feet of glass surface 
eported by florists' establishments 53.300- Of Virginia 
ounties lyoudoun ranked fourth in amount of sales and third 
1 area of glass surface. 

The total area devoted to nursery products in 1899 was 
0^ acres and the amount of sales therefrom $2,225- 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 101 

FARM LABOR AND FERTILIZERS. 

LABOR. 

The scarcity of efl&cient labor is one of the most 
serious troubles with which the farmers of this County have 
to cope. In the northern portion the labor is principally 
white, while in the southern part there is a greater proportion 
of the negro race. 

Some farmers employ men by the month, paying from $15 
to $18 and board, but at a distance from centers of population 
this transient labor is hard to secure, and even fancy wages 
sometimes fail to attract a suflScient supply. In other cases a 
laborer and his family are allowed to live on the farm, and he 
is paid by the day for such work as is required of him, the 
usual wage being 75 cents or $1, with the opportunity of 
working throughout a considerable part of the j^ear. The 
laborer usually pays a small rent for his cottage, but is 
allowed a piece of ground free for a garden. Where the 
farms are small the greater part of the work is done by the 
farmer and his family, and the situation is less difficult; but 
with the large farms it is often impossible to secure sufficient 
labor, especially during harvesting. 

The total and average expenditures for labor on farms in 

1899, including the value of the board furnished, was 

$292,150, an average of $149-97 per farm and 93 cents per 

acre. 

FERTILIZERS. 

Commercial fertilizers are used extensively throughout 
IvOudoun. These consist chiefly of phosphatic fertilizers, 
although some nitrogenous mixtures are used. Barn- 
yard and green manures are employed to a considerable 
extent. lyime is applied freely to many of the soils. It is 
brought into the area in cars, hauled from there to the farms 
by wagon, and thrown in small piles over the land, the usual 
application being twenty-five or thirty bushels to the acre. 
It is almost always put on the land in the fall, and after be- 
coming thoroughly slaked by air and rain, is spread over 
the land as evenly as possible. Applications are made every 
fifth or sixth year. Where farms are situated at considerable 



102 HISTORY OF 

distances from the railroads but little lime is used on account 
of the diflBiculty of transportation. 

The total amount expended for fertilizers in 1900 was 
$107,490, an avera.^e of $55.18 per farm and 34 cents per acre 
and amounted to 3-8 per cent of the total value of the prod- 
ucts. In 1879, only one other county in the State, i. e., 
Norfolk, spent as much for the enrichment of its soils. The 
amount expended for fertilizers in that year was $133,349. 



EDUCATION AND RELIGION. 

Education. 

Few of the early settlers of Loudoun enjoyed any other 
advantages of education than a few months' attendance at 
primary schools as they existed in Virginia previous to the 
Revolution. But these advantages had been so well improved 
that nearly all of them were able to read and write a legible 
hand, and had acquired suflScient knowledge of arithmetic 
for the transaction of ordinary business. They were, in gen- 
eral, men of strong and penetrating minds and, clearly per- 
ceiving the numerous advantages which education confers, 
they early directed their attention to the establishment of 
schools. But for many years there were obstacles in addition 
to those incident to all new settlements, which prevented 
much being done for the cause of education. The contro- 
versies in which they were involved and the war of the Revo- 
lution employed nearly all their thoughts and all their ener- 
gies previous to the State's admission into the Federal Union. 

Of the real efficiency of the Colonial schools of lyoudoun 
but little can be learned. Teachers, as a rule, were on a par 
with their surroundings. If they could read, write and cipher 
to the "single rule of three" their educational qualifications 
were deemed sufficient. They generally canvassed the neigh- 
borhood with a subscription paper, forming the schools them- 
selves and furnishing the few necessary books. The rates 
were from $1 to $2.50 per scholar by the month, and lower 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. IO3 

when the schoolmaster "boarded around." But he was most 
likely to succeed in forming a school who contracted to take 
his pay in produce. 

Few schools were taught by women in Colonial times and 
female teachers were still rare until a comparatively recent 
period. 

The salaries of regularly appointed tutors varied according 
to the nature of the schools and the ability of the district to 
meet the expense. 

After the Revolution, with increasing prosperity, came a 
spirit of general improvement and a new interest in the cause 
of education. 

The present condition of education in Loudoun is hopeful, 
public instruction being now popular with all classes. Intelli- 
gence is more generally diffused than at any previous period 
of the County's history, and happily, the progress of moral 
education has, on the whole, fully kept pace with intellectual 
culture. Our boys and girls are reared in a home atmosphere 
of purity, of active thought, and intelligent cultivation; all 
their powers are keenly stimulated by local and national pros- 
perity and unrestricted freedom in all honest endeavor. 

With the improvement in the school system has come a bet- 
ter style of school-houses. The "little red school-house on 
the hiir ' has given place to buildings of tasteful architecture, 
with modern improvements conducive to the comfort and 
health of the scholars, and the refining influences of neat sur- 
roundings is beginning to be understood. Separate schools 
are maintained for colored pupils and graded schools sus- 
tained at populous places. 

With free schools, able teachers consecrated to their call- 
ing, and fair courses of instruction; with a people generous 
in expenditures for educational purposes, and a cooperation of 
parents and teachers; with the many educational periodicals, 
the pedagogical books, and teachers' institutes to broaden 
and stimulate the teacher, the friends of education in Loudoun 
may labor on, assured that the new century will give abundant 
fruitage to the work which has so marvelously prospered in 
the old. 



104 



HISTORY OF 



Total Receipts of School Funds for the Year Ending July si^ igo8. 
(From report of Division Superintendent of Schools.) 

From State funds $13,968 92 

" County school tax 12,355 38 

" District school tax 14,640 82 

" All other sources 322 30 

" Balance on hand August 1, 1907 6,644 60 

Total 147,931 97 

Total expenditures 42,788 j8 

Balance on hand August /, igo8 $5,^43 39 

School population, Nutnber of Schools, Enrollment and Attendance by 

Races and Districts, jc)o6-igoj. 

(From report of State Superintendent of Schools. 



Districts. 


School Popula- 
tion. 


No. of schools 
opened. 


Whole number 
enrolled. 


Total. 




White. 


Colored. 


White. 


Colored. 


White. 


Colored. 




Broad Run 


748 
619 
381 
614 
628 
695 
255 


228 
216 
143 
34 
482 
457 
130 


19 

15 
9 
13 
15 
16 
6 


4 
4 
3 
1 

7 
6 
3 


538 
446 
358 
498 
467 
493 
196 


131 

196 

107 

24 

277 
231 
121 


669 




642 


L,eesburg 


465 




522 


Mercer 


744 


Mt Gilead 


724 


Town of Leesburg.. 


317 


Total 


3,940 


1,690 


93 


28 


2,996 


1,087 


4,083 







Religion. 
The Church, with her faiths, her sacraments, and a part of 
her ministry, was an integral part of the colonization of the 
County from the beginning and continuously. Everywhere, 
with the spreading population, substantial edifices for public 
worship were erected and competent provision made for the 
maintenance of all the decencies and proprieties of Christian 
religion. The influence of these institutions, and of the faith 
which they embodied, was most benign and salutary. They 
gave to the age of the Revolution its noble character and its 
deep-seated principles, the force and momentum of which have 
come down, with gradually decreasing power, to our own day. 
But with these institutions and with their proper effect and 
influence was mingled the fatal leaven of secularity. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 



105 



All the leading denominations are represented in Loudoun 
by churches and congregations to the extent shown by the 
following table of statistics, representing conditions as they 
existed at the close of the calendar year I906, and based upon 
the returns of individual church organizations so far as 
received by the Census Office, through which Bureau they 
were obtained for initial publication in this work. 



Denomination. 



All denominations 

Baptist bodies: 

Baptists — 

Southern Baptist Convention 

National Baptist Convention (colored) 

Free Baptists 

Primitive Baptists 

Friends: 

Society of Friends (Orthodox) 

Religious Society of Friends (Hicksite) 

Lutheran bodies: 

General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran 

Church in the United States of America 

Methodist bodies:* 

Methodist Episcopal Church 

Methodist Episcopal Church (South) 

Colored Methodist Episcopal Church 

Presbyterian bodies: 

Presbyterian Church in the United States (South) 

Protestant Episcopal Church 

Reformed bodies: 

Reformed Church in the United States 

Roman Catholic Church 



Total 
number 

of 
organi- 
zations. 



97 



Communi- 
cants or 
members. 



Total num- 
ber re- 
ported. 



7,606 



11 


1,199 


15 


1,235 


2 


55 


6 


171 


2 


122 


3 


278 



645 

1,179 

1,716 

45 

345 
416 

140 
60 



*Leesburg had, until a year or so ago when it was razed, one of the 
oldest Methodist churches in America. The building, a large stone 
structure, long abandoned, with galleries around three sides, stood in 
the midst of an old Methodist graveyard in which are tombstones more 
than a century old. It was built, according to report, in 1780. 

Leesburgis the oldest Methodist territory in the bounds of the Balti- 
more Conference in Virginia, and it was here that the first Methodist 
Conference held in the State convened May 19, 1778. 
45-8 




FORMATION. 



In 1742, Prince William County, a part of the stupendous 
Culpeper grant, was divided and the county of Fairfax created 
and named in honor of its titled proprietor. Commencing at 
the confluence of the Potomac and Occoquan rivers, the line 
of demarcation followed the latter stream and its tributary, 
Bull Run, to its ultimate source in the mountain of that name, 
from which point it was continued to the summit of said 
mountain, pursuing thereafter a direct course to the thorough- 
fare in the Blue Ridge, known as "Ashby's Gap." 

In 1757, Fairfax was divided and the territory west of its 
altered boundary christened "Loudoun County." The new 
line followed the stream called DifiScult Run, from its junction 
with the Potomac to its highest spring-head, and from that 
point was continued in a direct line to the northeast border 
of Prince William County. This boundary was afterwards 
changed and the present line between Loudoun and Fairfax 
substituted (see "Boundaries," page 17). 

The following are excerpts from the proceedings of the 
Virginia House of Burgesses that led to the creation of Lou- 
doun County in May, 1757. The act authorizing the division 
of Fairfax and establishment of Loudoun is given intact: 

On April 20, 1757, a "petition of sundry Inhabitants of Fairfax 
Count}-, praying a Division of the said County, was presented to the 
House and read, and referred to the Consideration of the next Session 
of Assembly." 

(107) 



108 HISTORY OF 

On Friday, April 22, 1757, "Mr. Charles Carter, from the Committee 
on Propositions and Grievances, reported, that the Committee had had 
under their Consideration divers Propositions, from several Counties, 
to them referred, and had come to several Resolutions thereupon, which 
he read in in Place, and then delivered in at the Table, where the same 
were again twice read, and agreed to by the House, as follow:" 

''Resolved, That the Petition of sundry Back-Inhabitants of the said 
County of Fairfax, pra^-ing the same may be divided into two distinct 
Counties, by a Line from the Mouth up the main Branch of Difficult- 
Run to the Head thereof, and thence by a streight Line to the Month of 
Rocky-'R.un, is reasonable." 

The following Monday the bill was again presented to the 
House by Charles Carter, of the Committee of Propositions 
and Grievances, and Friday, April 29, 1757, was ordered 
engrossed and read a third time. 

Monday, May 2, 1757, the engrossed Bill, entitled, "An 
Act for dividing the county of Fairfax," was read a third 
time, passed by the House, and sent to the Council for their 
"concurrence." It received the assent of the governor 
Wednesda}', June 8, 1757. 

An Act for Dividing the County of Fair/ax. 
(Passed May 2, 1757.) 

I. Whereas, Many inconveniences attend the upper inhabitants of 
the county of Fairfax, by reason of the large extent of the said county, 
and their remote situation from the court house, and the said inhabi- 
tants have petitioned this present general assembly that the said county 
may be divided: Be it, therefore, enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, 
Council, and Burgesses of this present General Assembly, and it is 
hereb}- enacted, by the authority of the same. That from and after the 
1st day of July next ensuing the said county of Fairfax be divided into 
two counties, that is to say: All that part thereof, lying above Difficult 
run, which falls into Patowmack river, and by a line to be run from the 
head of the same run, a straight course, to the mouth of Rockj- run, 
shall be one distinct county, and called and known by the name of 
Loudoun: And all that part thereof below the said run and course, shall 
be one other distinct county, and retain the name of Fairfax. 

II. And for the due administration of justice in the said county of 
Loudoun, after the same shall take place: Be it further enacted by the 
authority aforesaid, That after the first day of Julj- a court for the said 
county of Loudoun be constantly held by the justices thereof, upon the 
second Tuesday in every month, in such manner as by the laws of this 
colony is provided, and shall be by their commission directed. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 109 

III. Provided alv.ays, That nothing herein contained shall be con- 
structed to hinder the sheriff or collector of the said county of Fairfax, 
as the same now stands entire and undivided, from collecting and mak- 
ing distress for any public dues, or officers fees, which shall remain 
unpaid by the inhabitants of the said county of Loudoun at the time of 
its taking place; but such sheriff or collector shall have the same power 
to collect or distrain for such dues and fees, and shall be answerable for 
them in the same manner as if this act had never been made, any law, 
usage, or custom to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. 

IV. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That the 
court of the said county of Fairfax shall have jurisdiction of all actions 
and suits, both in law and equity, which shall be depending before them 
at the time the said division shall take place; and shall and maj' try and 
determine all such actions and suits, and issue process and award execu- 
tion in any such action or suit in the same manner as if this act had 
never been made, any law, usage, or custom to the contrary in any wise 
notwithstanding. 

V. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid. That out of 
every hundred pounds of tobacco, paid in discharge of quit rents, secre- 
tary's, clerk's, sheriff's, surveyor's, or other officers fees, and so pro- 
portionably for a greater or lesser quantity, there shall be made the 
following abatements or allowances to the payer, that is to say: For 
tobacco due in the county of Fairfax ten pounds of tobacco, and for 
tobacco due in the county of Loudoun twenty pounds of tobacco; and 
that so much of the act of the assembly, intituled. An Act for amending 
the Staple of Tobacco, and preventing frauds in his Majesty's customs, 
as relates to anything within the purview of this act, shall be, and is 
hereby repealed and made void. 



DERIVATION OF NAME. 

lyoudoiin County was named in honor of Lord Loudoun, a 
representative peer of Scotland, who, the year before its 
establishment, and during the French and Indian war, had 
been appointed captain-general and governor-in-chief of the 
province of Virginia, and commander-in-chief of the British 
military forces in the Colonies. 

His military avocations, however, prevented him from en- 
tering upon the duties of the gubernatorial ofiQce, and it is 
believed that he never visited the colony of Virginia. Din- 
widdle continued in the control of its affairs, while Loudoun 



110 HISTORY OF 

turned his attention to military matters, in which his indo- 
lence, indecision, and general inefficiency were most conspicu- 
ous and disastrous. Franklin said of him: "He is like little 
St. George on the sign-boards; always on horseback, but 
never goes forward." 

Until his early recall to England, ccntemporanecus writers 
and brother officers mercilessly criticised Loudoun "whom a 
child might outwit, or terrify with a pop-gun." 

Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia con- 
tains the following succinct account of the public services 
rendered by this noted Scotchman: 

"John Campbell, son of Hugh, Earl of Loudoun, was born in 1705, 
and succeeded his father in the title in November, 1731. In July, 1756, 
he arrived in New York with the appointment of governor in-chief of 
Virginia, and also with the commission of commander-in-chief of the 
British forces in America, but, proving ineflScient, returned to England 
in 1757. He was made Ivieutenant-General in 1758, and General in 1770. 
He died April 27, 1782, and was succeeded by Norborne Berkeley, Baron 
de Botetourt, as governor of Virginia, in 1768." 



SETTLEMENT AND PERSONNEL. 

The permanent settlement of Loudoun began between the 
years 1725 and 1730 while the County was yet a part of Prince 
William and the property of Lord Fairfax, the immigrants 
securing ninety-nine-year leases on the land at the rate of two 
shillings sterling per 100 acres. The above-noted interim 
saw a steady influx of the fine old English Cavalier* stock, 
the settlers occupying large tracts of land in the eastern and 
southern portions of the County or most of the territory 
extending from the Potomac River southward to Middleburg 
and from the Catoctin and Bull Run mountains eastward to 
the eastern border of the County. It is more to this noble and 
chivalric strain than to any other that Loudoun owes her 
present unrivalled social eminence. 

*This stock was the first to introduce and foster slavery in the 
County. — Goodhart's History of the Loudoun Rangers. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. HI 

^rjohn Esten, Cooke's faithful and eloquent delineation of 
Virginia character is peculiarly applicable to this Cavalier 
element of I^oudoun society. Some conception of that au- 
thor's grandiose style and intimate knowledge of his subject 
may be gained from the following passage: 

"The Virginian of the present time has ingrained in his character 
the cordial instincts and spirit of courtesy and hospitality which marked 
his ancestors. He has the English preference for the life of the country 
to the life of the city; is more at home among green fields and rural 
scenes than in streets; loves horses and dogs, breeds of cattle, the sport 
of fox hunting, wood-fires, Christmas festivities, the society of old 
neighbors, political discussions, traditions of this or that local celebrity, 
and to entertain everybody to the extent of, and even beyond, his 
limited means. Many of these proclivities have been laughed at, and 
the people have been criticised as provincial and narrow-minded; but 
after all it is good to love one's native soil, and to cherish the home 
traditions which give character to a race. Of the Virginians it may be 
said that they have objected in all times to being rubbed down to a 
uniformity with all the rest of the world, and that they have generally 
retained the traits which characterized their ancestors." 

The northwestern part of the County, known as the "Ger- 
man Settlement," a section of about 125 square miles, extend- 
ing from Catoctin Mountain westward to the Short Hill 
Mountains and from the Potomac River southward to near 
Wheatland, was originally settled by a sturdy and vigorous 
race of Germans,* principally from Pennsylvania, but a few 
from New York, in which two colonies they had settled on 
their arrival, only a few years before, from the Palatine states 
of Germany. They came to Loudoun between the years I73O 
and 1735,t about the time of the Cavalier settlements. 

These German settlers were a patient, God- fearing people, 
naturally rugged, and very tenacious in the preservation of 
their language, religion, customs and habits. Every stage in 
their development has been marked by a peaceable and orderly 
deportment — a perfect submission to the restraints of civil 
authority. 

*The first sheep were brought to the County by these settlers. — His- 
tory of the Loudoun Rangers. 

tl732 was most likely the year in which the earliest of these German 
settlers arrived in Loudoun. 



112 HISTORY OF 

The earliest of these German arrivals, with native foresight 
and a proper appreciation of the dangers incident to border 
settlement in that day of bloody Indian atrocities, came to 
IvOudoun in an organized body, embracing sixty or more 
families. 

Many of the males were artisans of no mean ability, and plied 
their respective trades as conscientiously and assiduously as 
others, in the rude manner of the times, tilled their newly- 
acquired acres. 

In this way, a congenial, stable, and self-sustaining colony, 
founded on considerations of common safety and economic 
expediency, was established amongst these storied hills of 
frontier Virginia. 

Almost simultaneously with these settlements came other 
emigrants from Pennsylvania and the then neighboring colon- 
ies, among them many members of the Society of Friends or 
Quakers.* Not a few of this faith came direct from England 
and Ireland, attracted by the genial climate, fertile soils and 
bountiful harvests, accounts of which had early gained wide- 
spread circulation. They chose homes in the central portion 
of the County, southwest of Waterford and west of Lessburg, 
that section being generally known as the "Quaker Settle- 
ment." 

Each summer brought them new accessions of prosperity 
and devout brethren to swell their numbers; and soon they 
had caused the wilderness to blossom as the rose. Here they 
found freedom of religious and moral thought, a temperate 
climate, and the wholesome society of earnest compatriots. 

Then, as now, a plain, serious people, they have left the 
impress of their character — thrifty, industrious, and con- 
spicuously honest — upon the whole of the surrounding dis- 
trict. 

No concerted violence, it is believed, was offered these 

*The term Quaker, originally given in reproach, has been so often 
used, by friend as well as foe, that it is no longer a term of derision, but 
is the generally accepted designation of a member of the Society of 
Friends. — Loudoun Rangers. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 113 

settlers by the Indians who seem to have accredited them 
with the same qualities of honesty, virtue, and benevolence, 
by the exercise of which William Penn, the founder of the 
faith in Pennsylvania, had won their lasting confidence and 
esteem. 

The Quaker is a type with which all the world is familiar 
and needs no particular portrayal in this work. The Quakers 
of lyoudoun have at all times remained faithful adherents of 
the creed, their peculiar character, manners, and tenets differ- 
ing to no considerable extent from those of other like colon- 
ies, wherever implanted. 

It is doubtful if any race has done more to stimulate and 
direct real progress, and to develop the vast resources of 
lyoudoun, than that portion of our earlier population known 
as the Scotch-Irish. Their remarkable energy, thrift, staid- 
ness, and fixed religious views made their settlements the 
centers of civilization and improvement in Colonial times; 
that their descendants proved sturdy props of the great cause 
that culminated in the independence of the United States is a 
matter of history. 

EARLY HABITS, CUSTOMS, AND DRESS. 

HABITS. 

The earliest permanent settlements of Loudoun having 
been separately noted in the foregoing paragraphs a 
generalized description of the habits, customs, and dress of 
these settlers, as well as their unorganized pioneer predeces- 
sors and the steady promiscuous stream of homeseekers that 
poured into the County until long after the Revolution, will 
now be attempted. 

The early settlers, with but one class exception, had no 
costly tastes to gratify, no expensive habits to indulge, and 
neither possessed nor cared for luxuries. Their subsistence, 
such as they required, cost but little of either time or labor. 
The corn from which they made their bread came forth from 
the prolific soil almost at the touch of their rude plows. Their 



114 HISTORY OF 

cattle and hogs found abundant sustenance in the broad 
pastures which, in the summer, yielded the richest grass, and 
in the woods where, in the fall, the ground was strewn with 
acorns and other like provender. 

The pioneer lived roughly; the German from the Palatinate 
kept house like the true peasant that he was; the planter 
lived somewhat more sumptuouslj^ and luxuriously; but, in 
nearly every case, the table was liberally supplied. Hominy, 
milk, corn-bread, and smoked or jerked meats seem to have 
been most popular with the humbler classes. 

Ice was not stored for summer use, fruits were few and not 
choice, and the vegetables limited; our ancestors, at that 
time, having no acquaintance with the tomato, cauliflower, 
egg-plant, red-pepper, okra, and certain other staple vege- 
tables of today. The Indians had schooled them in the prep- 
aration of succotash with the beans grown among the corn, 
and they raised melons, squashes, and pumpkins in abundance. 

Corn for bread was broken in a mortar and ground in a 
grater or hand-mill. Mills, in the early days, were few and 
far apart, some of the back-settlers being compelled to travel 
many miles for their grist. This condition gave origin to the 
adage "first come first served," and frequently carried the 
late arrivals over night and, at times, prolonged the trip to 
procure a few bushels of meal three or four days, "Band- 
mills," run by horses, and small water mills, where the 
situation permitted, came into use to supply the demand of 
larger ones. The building of a good mill, it must be confesed, 
was hailed with greater satisfaction than the erection of a 
church. 

The more primitive of these peoples ate from wooden 
^'■enchers and platters; sat upon three-legged stools or wooden 
blocks; used bear's grease in lieu of lard and butter, and cut 
their foods with the same sheath-knives used in disem- 
bowelling and skinning the deer killed by their rifles. They 
had no money and their scant furniture was essentially crude, 
sometimes including a few pewter dishes and plates and 
spoons, but usually nothing beyond wooden bowls, trenchers. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. II7 

and noggins, with gourds and squashes daintily cut. The 
horse trough served as a wash-basin, and water buckets were 
seldom seen. The family owning an iron pot and a kitchen 
table were esteemed rich and extravagant, and china and crock- 
ery ware were at once practicallj'- unknown and uncraved. 
Feather-beds and bedsteads were equally eschewed, these 
hardy men who had conquered the wilderness not disdaining, 
when night came, to sleep upon a dirt floor with a bear-skin 
for covering. 

With muscles of iron and hearts of oak, they united a 
tenderness for the weak and a capability for self-sacrifice 
worthy of an ideal knight of chivalry; and their indomitable 
will, which recognized no obstacle as insuperable, was equalled 
only by their rugged integrity which regarded dishonesty as 
an offense as contemptible as cowardice. For man^^ years 
they dwelt beyond the pale of governmental restraint, nor 
did they need the presence of either courts or constables. 
Crimes against person, property, or public order were of so 
infrequent occurrence as to be practically unheard of. In 
moral endowments — even if not in mental attainments — these 
sturdy pioneers of lyoudoun were, it must be admitted, vastly 
superior to many of those who followed them when better 
facilities for transportation rendered the County more access- 
ible. 

Society before and for many years after the Revolution was 
easy, agreeable, and somewhat refined. Traveling was slow, 
difl&cult, and expensive. For society, the inhabitants were 
mainly dependent upon themselves; the ties of social life were 
closely drawn. Books, newspapers, and magazines were rare; 
men and women read less, but talked more, and wrote longer 
and more elaborate letters than now. "Cheap postage h'^" 
spoiled letter writing." Much time was spent in social visits; 
tea parties, and supper parties were common. The gentlemen 
had their clubs and exclusive social gatherings, sometimes too 
convivial in their character, and occasionally a youth of 
promise fell a victim to the temptations of a mistaken hospi- 
tality. ' 'Gaming was more common among respectable people 
than at the present day." 



11^ HISTORY OF 

CUSTOMS. 

Of leisure, all classes at all times had a superabund- 
ance, and it was cheerfully devoted to mutual assistance 
without thought of recompense, except in kind. If anyone 
fell behind through sickness or other misfortune, his neigh- 
bors would cheerfully proffer their services, often making of 
the occasion a frolic and mingling labor with amusement. 

On days set apart for the pulling of flax and wheat-cutting, 
the neighbors and their children assembled in happy mood 
and as cheerfully applied themselves to their gratuitous tasks. 
While the men were pulling the flax or reaping and shocking 
the wheat, the women at the house were preparing the 
harvest-noon feast. The rough table, for which the side and 
bottom boards of a wagon were frequently used, was placed 
when practicable under the shade of a spreading tree in the 
yard. The visitors contributed from their meagre store such 
additional dishes, knives, forks, and spoons as were needed. 
Around the table, seated on benches, stools, or splint-bottom 
chairs, with such appetites as could only be gained from 
honest toil in the open field, the company partook of the 
bounties set before them. These consisted, in addition to the 
never-failing corn-bread and bacon, of bear and deer meat, 
turkey, or other game in season, and an abundance of vege- 
tables which they called "roughness." The bread, styled 
" jonny-cake," was baked on journey or " jonny" boards, 
about two feet long and eight inches wide. The dough was 
spread over the boards which were then placed before the fire; 
after one side was browned, the cake was reversed and the 
unbaked side turned toward the flames. 

However strictly it might be abstained from at other times, 
a harvest without whisky was like a dance without a fiddle. 
It was partaken of by all — each one, male and female, drink- 
ing from the bottle and passing it to his or her nearest 
neighbor. Drinking vessels were dispensed with as mere idle 
superfluities. 

Dinner over, the company scattered, the elders withdrawing 
in a body and seating or stretching themselves upon the 
ground. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 117 

After the filling and lighting of the inevitable pipe, conver- 
sation would become general. The news of the day — not 
always, as may be imagined, very recent — was commented 
upon, and then, as now, political questions were sagely and 
earnestly discussed. Stories, mainly of adventure, were told; 
hairbreadth escapes from Indian massacre recounted and the 
battles of late wars fought again beneath the spreading 
branches of the trees. Meanwhile, the boys and girls wan- 
dered off in separate and smaller groups, singing and playing 
and making love much in the manner of today. 

Another amusement of those days, and one that did not 
fall into disfavor for manj' years thereafter, was what was 
known as "shucking bees." To these gatherings were in- 
vited both old and young. Stacks of corn in the husk were 
piled upon the ground near the crib where the golden ears 
were finally to be stored. Upon the assemblage of the guests, 
those with proud records as corn-huskers were appcir.ttd 
leaders, they in turn filling the ranks of their respective par- 
ties by selection from the company present, the choice going 
to each in rotation. The corn was divided into approximately 
equal piles, one of which was assigned to each party. The 
contest was then begun with much gusto and the party first 
shucking its allotment declared the winner. The lucky 
finder of a red ear was entitled to a kiss from the girls. 

Supper always followed this exciting contest and after sup- 
per came the dance. Stripped of dishes, the tables were 
quickly drawn aside and the room swept by eager hands. 
Then came the struggle for partners and the strife to be "first 
on the floor." Usually the violin furnished the only music 
and the figures most in favor were the reel and the jig, in 
which all participated with a zest and abandon unknown to 
the modern ballroom. "They danced all night till broad day- 
light and went home with the girls in the morning," some on 
foot and some on horseback, practically the only means of 
getting there. 

" Dreadful prodigality" does not too extravagantly describe 
the drinking habits of the people of Virginia in the latter half 



118 HISTORY OF 

of the eighteeath century. They consumed an enormous 
quaitity of liquors in proportion to their numbers, and drank 
indiscriminately, at all hours of the day and night. West 
India rum was the favorite drink of the people, because the 
cheapest, and was bought by the puncheon. Most every 
cellar, especially in the Cavalier settlements, had its barrel of 
cider, Bordeaux and sherry and Madeira wines, French bran- 
dies, delicate Holland gins, cordials, syrups, and every sort of 
ale and beer. Drunkenness was so common as to excite no 
comment, and drinking after dinner and at parties was always 
hard, prolonged, and desperate, so that none but the most 
seasoned old topers — the judges, squires, and parsons of six- 
bottle capacity — ever escaped with their sea-legs in an insur- 
able condition. 

While a large proportion of the home-seekers that had 
settled in the County immediately after the Revolution had 
received a rudimentary education, and had lived among com- 
munities which may be said to have been comparatively cul- 
tured, most of them were hardy, rough, uncultivated back- 
woodsmen, accustomed only to the ways of the frontier and 
camp. Many of them had served in the war of the Revolution 
and all of them in the border wars with the Indians. Though 
brave, hospitable and generous, they were more at ease be- 
neath the forest bivouac than in the "living-room" of the 
log-cabin, and to swing a woodman's axe among the lofty 
trees of the primeval forest was a pursuit far more congenial 
to their rough nature and active temperament than to mingle 
with society in settled communities. Their habits and man- 
ners were plain, simple, and unostentatious. Their clothing 
was generally made of the dressed skins of the deer, wolf, 
or fox, while those of the buffalo and elk supplied them with 
covering for their feet and heads. Their log-cabins were 
destitute of glass, nails, hinges, or locks. 

Education during the early settlements received but little 
attention in Loudoun, and school-houses, always of logs, were 
scarcely to be seen. Schools were sometinies opened at private 
houses or at the residence of the teacher; but "book larnin" 
was considered too impracticable to be of much value. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 119 

While the standard of morality, commercial as well as social, 
was of a high order, few of these settlers were members of any 
church. Many of them, however, had been reared in religious 
communities by Christian parents; had been taught to regard 
the Sabbath as a day of worship, and had been early im- 
pressed with a sense of the necessity of religious faith and 
practice. vSome of the prominent citizens encouraged these 
views by occasionally holding meetings in their cabins, at 
which the scriptures and sometimes sermons were read and 
hymns sung, but no prayers were offered. The restraining 
and molding influence of these early Christian efforts upon 
the habits and morals of the people was in every respect whole- 
some and beneficial. The attention of the people was arrested 
; and turned to the study and investigation of moral and relig- 
ious questions, and direction was given to the contemplation 
of higher thoughts and the pursuit of a better life. 

In the meantime, other elements were introduced which 
effected a radical change in the habits of the people for both 
good and evil. The first settlers lived in the country, in the 
woods and wilds, whose "clearings" were far apart. Not 
one in ten of them had dwelt in any town, or even visited one 
having as many as a thousand inhabitants. And now there 
came the merchant, the lawyer, the doctor, and the mechanic, 
who resided in the towns which began to grow and to take 
on new life. Most of these had enjoyed superior advantages, 
so far as related to education and that worldly wisdom which 
comes from experience in older communities. Some of them 
had come from across the ocean and others from the large 
American cities, bringing with them manners, customs, fur- 
niture, and wares, of which the like had never been seen by 
the oldest inhabitant. 

And thus were gradually introduced the methods and appli- 
ances of a more advanced civilization. The pioneer and his 
wife, hearing of these things, would occasionally "go to town" 
to "see the sights," and would there discover that there were 
many useful and convenient articles for the farm and kitchen 
which might be procured in exchange for their corn, bacon, 
eggs, honey, and hides; and although the shrewd merchant 



t20 HISTv>RY OF 

\v;i-i v\irief\i! to exact his cent per cent, the prices askovi were 
little he^xled by the purchaser who was as igrionint of the 
\*3due of the commodities offerevl as he was delighted with their 
novehy and apparent nsefnluess. 

DRESS. 

The subject ot dress is approachevi with relncti\nc« 
and its description diffivlentlv essayed. But the task has 
seemed mandatory as the maimers of a people can no: other- 
wise be fully understood. The stately, ceremonious inter- 
course of the sexes, the stiff and elaborate walk of Loudoun 
men and women of Colonial and post-Revolutionary times is 
traceable almost solely to the costuming of that period. How 
could ladies dance anything but the stately minuet, when 
their heads were \-eritable pyramids of pasted hair surmounted 
by turbans, when their jeweled stomachers and tight-laced 
stays held their bodies as tightly as would a \-ise. when their 
high-heeled shoes w«re as unyielding as if mxde of wood, and 
their trails of taJfeta. often as much as fifteen yards long, and 
great feathered head-dresses compeilevi them to turn round as 
slowly as strutting peacocks? How could the men. with their 
buckram-stifEenevi coat-shirts, execute any other dance, when 
their elaborate powdered wigs compelled them to carry their 
hats under their arms, and their swords concurrently re- 
quired dexterous management for the avoidance cf tripping 
and mortifying falls? 

Children were laced in stays and made to wear chin sup- 
ports, gaps, and pads so as to give them the graceful carriage 
necessarv- to the wearing of all this weight of stiff and ela- 
borate costume, which was all of a piece with the character 
of the assemblies and other evening entertainments, the 
games of cards — basset, loo. piquet, and whist — with the 
dancing, the ceremonious public life of nearly e\-ery class of 
society, with even the elaborate funeral ceremonies, and the 
sedulousness with which "persons of quality"' thought it 
incumbent upon themselves to maintain the distinctions of 
rank as symboliied in costume. 

The tie-wig. bob-wig. bag-wig. night-cap-wig, and riding- 



j/jr;i>»or;:,' county, va. I2i 

wig vjicTb worn by the gentleman of quality as occafcion 
required. At times he wore, also, a small three-cornered 
cocked hat, felt or beaver, elaborately laced with gold or sil- 
ver galloon. If he walked, as to church or court, he carried, 
in addition to his sword, a gold or ivory-headed cane, at least 
five feet long, and wore square-toed, "low-quartered" slices 
with paste: or silver buckles. HLs stockings, no matter v/hat 
the material, were tightly stretched over his calves and care- 
fully gartered at the knee. If he rode, he wore boots instead 
of shoes and carried a stout riding whip. About his neck 
was a white cravat of great amplitude, with a'oundant hanging 
ends of lace. His waist-coat was made with great flaps ex- 
tending nearly down to the knee and bound with gold or 
silver lace. His coat, of cloth or velvet, might be of any 
color, but was sure to be elaborately made, with flap-pockets, 
and great hanging cufls, from beneath which appeared the 
gentleman's indisi>ensable lace ruffles. His knee-breeches 
were of black satin, red plush, or blue cloth, according to his 
fancy. They were plainly made and fitted tightly, buckling 
at the knee. At home, a black velvet skull-cap sometimes 
usurped the place of the wig and a damask dressing-gown 
lined with silk supplanted the coat, the feet being made easy 
in fancy morocco slippers. Judges on the bench often wore 
robes of scarlet faced with black velvet in winter, and black 
silk gowns in summer. 

The substantialplanter and burgher dressed well but were not 
.so particular about their wigs, of which they probably owned no 
more than one, kept for visiting and for Sabbath use. They 
usually yielded to the custom of shaving their heads, however, 
and wore white linen caps under their hats. During the 
Revoluntary War wigs were scare and costly, linen was 
almost unoVjtainable and the practice of shaving heads accord- 
ingly fell rapidly into desuetude. Sometimes the burgher's 
hat was of wool or felt, with a lov/ crown and broad brim, 
turned up and cocked. About his neck he wore a white linen 
stock, fastening with a buckle at the back. His coat was of 
cloth, broad-backed, with flap-pockets, and his waist-coat, 

iS— 9 



122 HISTORY OF 

of the same stun, extended to his knees. He wore short 
breeches with brass or sil\*er knee-buckles, red or bine gar- 
ters, and rather stout, coarse leather shoes, strapped over the 
quarter. He wore no sword, but often carried a staff, and 
knew how to use it :o ad\-autage. 

Mechanics, laborers and servants wore Iea:her-breeches and 
aprons, sagathy coats, osnabnrg shirts and hair-shag jackets, 
coatee shoes, and worsted or jean stockings, knit at home. 

The dress of the women of these classes was shabbier still, 
their costumes, for the most part, comprising stamped cotton 
and white dimity gowns, coarse shift (^osnaburg), country 
cloth, and black quilted petticoats. In the backwoods and the 
priniiti\'e German settlements the women all wore the short 
gowns and petticoats, also tight-fitting calico caps. In sum- 
mer, when employed in the fields, they wore only a linen shift 
and a petticoat of home-made linsey. All their clothing, in 
fact, was home-made. 

The ladies of quality, however, as has been intimated. 
dressed. extra\-agantly. frizzed, rouged, wore trains, and 
acted as fashionable women have done from the immemorial 
beg:inning of things. 

The pioneers dressed universally in the hunting shirt or 
blouse, sometimes fringed and decorated, and perhaps the most 
convenient frock ever conceived. It fit loosely, was open in 
front, reached almost to the knees, and had large sleeves, and 
a cape for the protection of the shoulders in bad weather. In 
the ample bosom of this shirt the hunter carried his bread 
and meat, the tow with which to wipe out the barrel of his 
rifie. and other small requisites. To his belt, tied or buckled 
behind, he suspended his mittens, bullet-pouch, tomahawk, and 
knife and sheath. His hunting-shirt was made of dressed deer- 
skin — very uncomfortable in wet weather— or of Hnsey. when 
it was to be had. The pioneer dressed his lower body in 
drawers and leathern cloth leggins. and his feet in moccasins; 
a coon-skin cap conapleting the attire. 

His wife wore a linsey petticoat, home-spun and home-made. 
and a short gown of linsey or "callimanco.' when that ma- 
terial could be obtained. She wore no covering for the feet 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 123 

in ordinary weather, and moccasins, coarse, "countrj'-niaue" 
shoes, or "shoe-packs" during more rigorous seasons. To 
complete the picture Kercheval, the historian of the Shenan- 
doah Valley, is here quoted: "The coats and bed-gowns of the 
women, as well as the hunting-shirts of the men, were hung in 
full display on wooden pegs around the walls of their cabins, 
so that while they answered in some degree the purpose of 
paper-hangings or tapestry, they announced to the stranger 
as well as the neighbor the wealth or poverty of the family in 
the articles of clothing." 

It is to be hoped that the desultory sketch furnished above 
will not be found uninteresting despite its imperfections. 
Many details have been omitted or neglected, but enough 
has been written to illustrate in a general way the qualities 
for which our ancestors were most distinguished, for which 
their characters have excited most comment and perhaps 
deserved most praise. 

As a whole, they were a generous, large-hearted, liberal- 
minded peopie, and their faults were far fewer than their 
virtues. The yeomanry, in their own rude, rough-and-ready 
manner, reflected the same sort of personal independence of 
character and proud sense of individuality as the social 
aristocracy. 

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

Little can be learned of Loudoun's participation in the last 
great French and Indian War (1754-1763). It had its begin- 
ning three years prior to her admission into the sisterhood of 
Virginia counties, and the services she must have rendered 
during that period are, of course, accredited to Fairfax, of 
which county she was then a part. The few existing or avail- 
able records of the remaining six years of warfare, as of the 
entire period, are imperfect and unlocalized and would baffle 
the most experienced and persevering compiler. 

The only deductions that have seemed at all noteworthy are 
here presented: 

The General Assembly of Virginia, on April 14, 1757, 



124 HISTORY OF 

passed an act providing for the appointment of a committee 

to direct the pay of the oflScers and soldiers then in the pay 

of the Colony, of "the rangers formerly employed, and for 

the expense of building a fort in the Cherokee country," for 

the pay of the militia that had "been drawn out into actual 

service, and also for provisions for the said soldiers, rangers, 

and militia. . . ." 

In the following schedule are given the names of Loudoun 

payees and the amount received by each: 

£ s. d. 

To Captain Nicholas Minor 1 GO 00 

^neas Campbell, lieutenant 7 6 

Francis Wilks 1 17 

James Willock 1 15 

John Owsley and William Stephens, ISs. each 1 10 

\ Robert Thomas 10 

V John Moss, Jr 4 

John Thomas, for provisions 5 

John Moss, for provisions 2 8 

William Ross, for provisions 2 

7 13 2 

By a later act of the same body commissioners were em- 
powered "to examine, state, and settle the accounts of such 
pay, provisions, arms, etc.," of the six counties from which 
they were appointed, "and all arrears whatsoever relating to 
the militia." 

The following list of Loudoun beneficiaries, with the 

amounts opposite, is reproduced in the identical form in which 

it was then submitted: 

£ s. d. 

"1757. To Robert Adams, assignee of Stephen Thatcher, for 

his pay , 5 12 6 

Do. do of Thomas Bond, fordo., 4 10 

Thomas Gore, for a rifle gun impressed, 4 10 

Stephen Emorie, for dressing guns for militia, 13 

James demons, for a gun impressed, 4 10 

1763. Captain Moss, for 60 days' pa}' at 6s., 18 

Lieutenant Gore, for do. at 3s., 6d., 10 10" 

REPRESENTATION. 

Colonial Assemblies. — General Assembly of 1758-'61, Fran- 
cis Ivightfoot Lee and James Hamilton; General Assembly of 
176l-'65, Francis Lightfoot Lee and James Hamilton; Gen- 
eral Assembly of October, 1765, Francis Lightfoot Lee and 
c 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 125 

James Hamilton; General Assembly of l766-'68, Francis 
lyightfoot Lee and James Hamilton; General Assembly of 
May, 1769, Francis Peyton and James Hamilton; General 
Assembly of 1 769-' 71, Francis Peyton and James Hamilton 
(the latter vacated his seat during the session of May 21, 
1770, to accept the office of coroner. He was succeeded by 
Josiah Clapham); General Assembly of 1 772-' 74, Thomas 
Mason and Francis Peyton; General Assembly of 1 775-' 76, 
Josiah Clapham and Francis Peyton. 

State Conventions. 

Below will be found a compendium of Virginia conventions, 
with the names of the delegates returned by Loudoun County. 
Few, if any, counties of Virginia have had an abler or more 
influential representation in the various State conventions. 
From the meeting of the first to the adjournment of the last 
Loudoun has been represented by fifteen of her wisest and 
most prominent citizens. 

Convention of 177 f. — Met August 1, 1774. Adjourned 
August 6, 1774. Loudoun delegates: Francis Peyton and 
Thomas Mason. 

Convention of March 20, 1775. — Met at Richmond, Monday, 
March20, 1775. Adjourned March 27, 1775. Loudoundele- 
gates: Francis Peyton and Josiah Clapham. 

Convention of fuly 17, 1775- — Met at Richmond, July 17, 
1775- Adjourned August 26, 1775- Loudoun delegates: 
Francis Peyton and Josiah Clapham. 

Convention of December i, 1775. — Met at Richmond, Decem- 
ber 1, 1775. Adjourned January 20, 1776. Loudoun dele- 
gates: Francis Peyton and Josiah Clapham. 

Convention of 1776. — This convention met in the city of 
Williamsburg, on Monday, May 6, 1776, and "framed the 



126 HISTORY OF 

first written constitution of a free State in the annals of the 
world." Adjourned July 5, 1776. Loudoun delegates: 
Francis Peyton and Josiah Clapham. 

Previous conventions did not frame constitutions, but they 
directed the afEairs of the colony, and, in a measure, con- 
trolled the destinies of her people. Like the convention of 
1776, they were instead revolutionary bodies. 

Conventio7i of iy88. — This convention met in the State 
House in the city of Richmond, June 2, I788, to ratify or re- 
ject the Constitution which had been recommended to the 
States by the Federal Convention on the 1 7th of September, 
1787, at Philadelphia. Adjourned sine die June 27, 1788. 
Loudoun delegates: Stephen T. Mason and Levin Powell. 

Conve7ition 0/ i82g- JO . — Assembled in Richmond on the 5th 
day of October, I829. Tenth District (Loudoun and Fairfax) 
delegates: James Monroe, Charles Fenton Mercer, William 
H. Fitzhugh, and Richard H. Henderson. 

Conventio7i of 1850-51. — Met at the Capitol in the city of 
Richmond, on Monday, October 14, I85O. Adjourned sine 
die, August 1, I85I. District of Loudoun delegates: John 
Janney, John A. Carter, and Robert J. T. White. 

Convention of 1 86 1. — Met February I3, I86I. Adjourned 
^/w^flfzV, December 6, 1861. Loudoun delegates: John Janney 
and John A. Carter. The former was elected President of 
the Convention. Both voted against the ordinance of seces- 
sion, April 17, 1861. Mr. Janney 's resignation as President 
of the Convention was tendered on November 14, I86I. 

Convention of 1864. — (Restored Government of Virginia.) 
Met February 13, I864. Adjourned 5/m^ a?/.?, April 11, I864. 
Loudoun delegates: John J. Henshaw, James M. Downey, 
and E. R. Gover. 

Cojivention of 1867-68. — Met at Richmond, Tuesday, De- 
cember 3, 1867. Adjourned April 17, I868. Loudoun dele- 
gates: Norborne Berkeley and George E. Plaster. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 127 

Convention of I go I- 02 . — Met June 12, 1901. Adjourned sine 
die, June 26, 1902. lyoudoun and Fauquier district delegates: 
Henry Fairfax and Albert Fletcher. 

THE REVOLUTION. 

Loudo7i7i^ s Loyalty. 

The story of the Revolution and the causes which led to 
that great event are properly treated in a more general history 
than this purports to be. If, in the few succeeding pages, it 
can be shown that Loudoun County was most forward in re- 
sisting the arbitrary aggressions of the British government 
and that the valor and patriotism she evinced during thg 
Revolution was equal to that of her sister counties, who had 
suffered with her under the yoke of British oppression, then 
the primary object of this sketch will be accomplished. Her 
blood and treasure were freely dedicated to the cause of 
liberty, and, having once entered the Revolution, she deter- 
mined to persevere in the struggle until every resource was 
exhausted. 

Armed with flint-lock muskets of small bore and with long- 
barreled rifles which they loaded from the muzzle by the use 
of the ramrod; equipped with powder horn, charges made of 
cane for loading, bullet molds and wadding, but bravely 
arrayed in homespun of blue, and belted with cutlass and 
broadsword by the side, cockade on the hat and courage in 
the heart, her revolutionary soldiers marched to the music of 
fife and drum into battle for freedom against the power and 
might of the mother country. 

Resolutions of Lo?(doun Co2inty. 

In 1877, the following article appeared in a Leesburg 
newspaper under the caption "Loudoun County a Hundred 
Years Ago:" 

"Major B. P. Nolan, grandson of Burr Powell, has just put us in pos- 
session of a verified copy of the proceedings of a public meeting held at 



12S HISTORY OF 

Leesburg. Lcacocn CotLnty. on the l-»^tii of Jnne. 1774. nearly one hun- 
dred and five years ago. It is iEteresdng. not merely for its antiquity, 
bu: a:« sho-R-ing the spirit of incependence that animated the breasts 
of oar liberty -loving countrymen ^rwo years before the Declaration ci 
American Incependence in l7Tz. The original dccnment ■was fotmd 
amonc the papers of CoL Leven Powell, at one rii re r: ember of Congress 
from this district, who died in iSlO. His son. Burr Powell, fonrarded 
a copy to R. H. Lee, Esq., -vho in 1S26 was about to publish a. second 
e-iirlon of his •Memoirs of the Life of R. H. Lee." of Revtlutionary 
fame. 

The proceedings or resolutions follow: 

PTBLXC MEETIXG Ef LOOX>U>f IX iT7*. " 

"At a meeting of the Freeholders and other inhabitants of the Countr 
of Loudoun, in the Colony of Virginia, held at the Conrt-Hcuse in Lees- 
burg the J4th of June, J7"4. F. Peyton. Esq.. in the Cnair. to consider 
the u^ost enectnal m^ethod to preserve the rights and liberties of North 
America, and relieve our brethren of Sis: :z .--"er-^ irier ilie mcst 
oppressive and tyrannical Act of the Sr:.:- - irl:. nirr.: mile '.~ the 
14th year of his present Majesty's reign, whereby :L:r : M - : Is 
blocie-f. up. their commerce totally obstructed, their pic^-cr-.y reniered 
useless — 

■ 'J^fs.'.'z fj. That we will al ■w^avs cheerfully submit to such zr~: ; i : ! vts 
33 his Z-Iijesry has a right, by law, to exercise, as Soverr_L .: .lie 
Br.nsh Dominions, and to zio others. 

■ -"T.-v.'.'rr;!. That it is beneath the dignity c: freemen to snbmit to any 

o":m ch-.sinc. 

"Jxfss.'z^s. That the Act of the BrirLsz 7= r lament, above mentioned, 
IS utterly repugnant to the fundamental .i- i :: ;n;tice, in punishing 
persons without even the form cf a trial: bn: i r-t .tie exerticn of nn- 

pecole. 

■ --T: 7 tit the enforcing the exe: _:; : :: :: the sail Act :: ? - -' t- 



that may fi.. znter the immediate hand of optrt;.- :t tntil a redress 

lished on a permanent tc _ r ' i : 

"J?:rst\ri^J. That the Z^? . 1: . , _ ..my ty estrorttng thetr tea from 
England to America, wh:.i. _-_;;. .: a '-v imposed thereon by the 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 



129 



those chains forged for them by a venal ministry, and have thereby 
rendered themselves odious and detestable throughout all America. It 
is, therefore, the unanimous opinion of this meeting not to purchase any 
tea or other East India commodity whatever, imported after the first of 
this Month. 

^^Resolved, That we will have no commercial intercourse with Great 
Britain until the above mentioned act of Parliament shall be totally 
repealed, and the right of regulating the internal policy of North 
America by a British Parliament shall be absolutely and positively 
given up. 

'■'Resolved, That Thompson Mason and Francis Peyton, Esqs., be ap- 
pointed to represent the County at a general meeting to be held at 
Williamsburg on the 1st day of August next, to take the sense of this 
Colony at large on the subject of the preceding resolves, and that they, 
together with Leven Powell, William Ellzey, John Thornton, George 
Johnston, and Samuel Levi, or any three of them, be a committee to 
correspond with the several committees appointed for this purpose. 

" Signed by — 



" John Morton, 
Thomas Ray, 
Thomas Drake, 
William Booram, 
Benj. Isaac Humphrey, 
Samuel Mills, 
Joshua Singleton, 
Jonathan Drake, 
Matthew Rust, 
Barney Sims, 
John Sims, 
Samuel Butler, 
Thomas Chinn, 
AppoUos Cooper, 
Lina Hanconk, 
John McVicker. 
Simon Triplett, 
John Wildey, 
Joseph Bay ley, 
Isaac Sanders, 
Thos. Williams, 
John Williams. 
William Finnekin, 
Richard Hanson, 
John Dunker, 
Thomas Williams, 



James Nolan, 
Samuel Peugh, 
William Nornail, 
Thomas Luttrell, 
James Brair, 
Poins Awsley, 
John Kendrick, 
Edward O'Neal, 
Francis Triplett, 
Joseph Combs, 
John Peyton Harrison, 
Robert Combs, 
Stephen Combs, 
Samuel Henderson, 
Benjamin Overfield, 
Adam Sangster, 
Bazzell Roads, 
James Graydey, 
Thomas Awsley, 
John Reardon, 
Henry Awsley, 
Edward Miller, 
Richard Hirst, 
James Davis, 
Jasper Grant." 



130 HISTORY OF 

Revohttionary Com^niitees. 
The County C )Tiniittee of I,oudoua for 1 774-' 75 was com- 
posed of the following members: 

Francis Peyton, Leven Powell, 

Josias Clapham, William Smith, 

Thomas Lewis, Robert Jamison, / 

Anthony Russell, Hardage L/ane, 

John Thomas, John Lewis, 

George Johnston, James Lane, 

. Thomas Shore, George Johnston, 
Jacob Reed, Clerk. 

The appended findings of this as well as a later committee 
exemplify the work of these Revolutionary bodies, 

"At a meeting of the Committee of Loudoun County, held at Lees- 
burg on Friday, May 26, 1775- • • • 

"The Committee, taking into consideration the conduct of the Gover- 
nour relative to the powder which was, by his express orders, taken 
secretly out of the publick Magazine belonging to this Colony, in the night 
of the twentieth ult., and carried on board the Magdaline schooner. 

''Resolved, nemine contra dicente. That his Lordship, by this and other 
parts of his conduct which have lately transpired, has not only forfeited 
the confidence of the good people of this Colony, but that he may be 
justly esteemed an enemy to America; and that as well his excuse pub- 
lished in his Proclamation of the fourth instant, as his verbal answer to 
the address presented him on that occasion by the city of Williams- 
burgh, are unsatisfactory and evasive, and reflect, in our opinion, great 
dishonour on the General Assembly and inhabitants of this Colony, as 
from the latter a suspicion may be easily deduced, that the Representa- 
tives of the people are not competent judges of the place wherein arms 
and ammunition, intended for the defense of the Colony, may be safely 
lodged, and that the inhabitants (unlike other subjects) can not, in pru- 
dence, be trusted with the means necessary for their protection from 
insurrection, or even evasion; so in the former a very heavy charge is 
exhibited against the best men among us, of seducing their fellow-sub- 
jects from their duty and allegiance; a charge, we are confident, not 
founded in reality, and which, we believe, is construed out of the dis- 
charge of that duty which every good man is under, to point out to his 
weaker countrymen, in the day of publick trial, the part they should act, 
and explain, on constitutional principles, the nature of their allegiance, 
the ground of which we fervently pray may never be removed, whose 
force we desire may never with reason be relaxed, but yet may be sub- 
servient to considerations of superior regard. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 131 

"The Committee being informed by some of the officers who com- 
manded the Troops of this County that marched on the above occasion, 
that the reason of their marching no farther than Fredericksburgh was, 
their having received repeated requests from the Honourable Peyton 
Randolph, Esq., to return home, assuring them that the peaceable citi- 
zens of Williamsburgh were under no apprehensions of danger, either 
in their persons or properties; that thepublick treasury and records were 
perfectly safe, and that there was no necessity for their proceeding any 
further; three of the other Delegates appointed to the Continental Con- 
gress, the only civil power we know of in this great struggle for liberty, 
being of the same opinion. 

'"'■Resolved, netnine contra dicente, That under such circumstances we 
approve the conduct of the said Officers and Troops. 

'''■Resolved, nemine contra dicente. That we cordially approve the con- 
duct of our countrymen. Captain Patrick Henry, and the other volun- 
teers of Hanover County, who marched under him, in making reprisals 
on the King's property for the trespass committed as aforesaid, and that 
we are determined to hazard all the blessings of this life rather than 
suffer the smallest injury offered to their persons or estates, on this 
account, to pass unrewarded with its equal punishment. 

'■'■Resolved, nemine contra dicente. That it be recommended to the 
Representatives of this County, as the opinion of this Committee, that 
they by no means agree to the reprisals, taken as aforesaid, being 
returned. 

'■'■Ordered, That the clerk transmit immediately a copy of the preced- 
ing resolves to the Printers of the Virginia and Pennsylvania gazettes, 
to be published. 

"By order of the Committee. 

"George Johnston, Clerk.'^ 

In session in I^oudoun, May 14, 1776: 

"Richard Morlan being summoned to appear before this Committee, 
for speaking words inimical to the liberties of America, and tending to 
discourage a Minute-man from returning to his duty; and also publickly 
declaring he would rot muster, and if fined would oppose the collection 
of the fine with his gun: The charge being proved against him, and he 
heard in his defense, the Committee think proper to hold the said 
Morlan up to the publick as an enemy to their rights and liberties; and 
have ordered that this resolution be published in the Virginia Gazette. 

"Christopher Greenup, Clerk." 

Soldiery. 

I^oudoun, at the time of the Revolution, was one of the 
most densely populated counties in the State. Her militia, 
according to the returns of I78O and 1781, numbered 1,746, 



132 HISTORY OF 

which number was far in excess of that reported by any other 
Virginia county. 

It is probable that a few lyoudoun patriots served in Captain 
Daniel Morgan's celebrated "Company of Virgina Riflemen," 
thus described by a line officer of the Continental Army: 
"They are remarkably stout and hardy men; many of them 
exceeding six feet in height. They are dressed in white 
frocks, or rifle shirts, and round hats. These men are re- 
markable for the accurac}" of their aim; striking a mark with 
great certainty at two hundred yards distance. At a review, 
a company of them, while on a quick advance, fired their 
balls into objects of seven inches diameter at the distance of 
two hundred and fifty yards. They are now stationed on our 
lines, and their shot have frequently proved fatal to British 
officers and soldiers, who expose themselves to view even at 
more than double the distance of common musket shot." 

The Germans of Loudoun were intensely loyal to the cause 
of freedom, man}' serving in xlrmand's Legion, recruited by 
authority of Congress during the summer of 1777, and com- 
posed of men who could not speak English. 

Quaker Non- Participation. 

During the period preceding the Revolution, important 
offices had been bestowed on the Friends or Quakers of 
Loudoun and they exercised a decided influence in the govern- 
ment of the Count5% They, however, withdrew participation 
in public affairs on the approach of war; and, to the deter- 
mination of the American patriots to throw off the yoke of 
British tyranny, they opposed their principles of non-resistance, 
not only refusing to perform military duty, but also to pay 
the taxes levied on them, as on all other citizens, for the 
prosecution of the War of Independence. 

This non-conformity to the military laws of the State from 
conscientious motives, brought them into difficulty, as will be 
seen in the annexed extract from Kercheval's History of the 
She7ia7idoah Valley: 

•'At the beginning of the war, attempts were made to compel them to 
bear arms and serve in the militia; but it was soon found unavailing. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. ■ 133 

They would not perform any military duty required of them, not even 
the scourge would compel them to submit to discipline. The practice of 
coercion was therefore abandoned, and the legislature enacted a law to 
levy a tax upon their propert)', to hire substitutes to perform militia duty 
in their stead. This, with other taxes, bore peculiarly heavy upon them. 
Their personal property was sold under the hammer to raise the public 
demands; and before the war was over, many of them were reduced to 
great distress in their pecuniary circumstances. 

"This selling of Quakers' property afforded grest opportunity for de- 
signing individuals to make profitable speculations. They continued to 
refuse to pay taxes for several years after the war, holding it unlawful 
to contribute their money towards discharging the war debt. This being 
at length adjusted, no part of our citizens pay their public demands 
with more punctuality (except their muster fines, which they still refuse 
to pay)." 

Loudoun' s Revolutionary Hero. 

John Champe, the tall and saturnine sergeant-major of Lee's 
celebrated partisan legion, was a resident of Loudoun County. 
Readers of Lee's "Memoirs of the War" will recall the account 
of Champe' s pretended desertion from the Continental armies. 
This perilous adventure was undertaken for the threefold 
purpose of capturing the traitor Arnold, saving the life of the 
unfortunate Andre, and establishing the innocence of General 
Gates, who had been charged with complicity in Arnold's 
nefarious intrigue. His investigations secured the complete 
vindication of Gates; but, failing in his other attempts, he 
drifted with the Red Coats to North Carolina, where he de- 
serted their ranks and rejoined the American forces under 
General Greene. 

That officer provided him with a good horse and money for 
his journey, and sent him to General Washington. The 
commander-in-chief "munificently anticipated every desire 
of the sergeant, and presented him with a discharge from fur- 
ther service, lest he might, in the vicissitudes of war, fall into 
the enemy's hands; when, if recognized, he was sure to die 
on a gibbet." His connection with the army thus abruptly, 
though honorably, severed, with no little regret we are to sup- 
pose, he straightway repaired to his home near Leesburg. 

In after years, when General Washington was called by 



134 HISTORY OF 

President Adams to the command of the army organized to 
defend the country from French hostility, he inquired for 
Champe, with the avowed purpose of placing him at the head 
of a company of infantrj'. Lieutenant-Colonel Lee, through 
whom the inquiry had been made, dispatched a courier to 
Loudoun County in search of Champe. There he learned 
that the intrepid soldier iand daring adventurer had removed 
to Kentucky, where he soon afterward died. 

Some interesting anecdotes concerning Champe are related 
in a portion of Captain Cameron's private journal, published 
in the British United Service Journal. Champe was assigned 
to his company, a part of Arnold's British legion, upon his 
arrival in New York. 

Army Recommeiidations . 

The following list of militia ofl&cers were "recommended 
by the gentlemen justices of the county Court for Loudoun 
County, Virginia, to the Governor for appointments from 
March, 1778, to December, 1782:" 

*"March, 1778: James Whaley, Jr., second lieutenant; William Car- 
nan, ensign;' Daniel Lewis, second lieutenant; Josias Miles and Thomas 
King, lieutenants; Hugh Douglass, ensign; Isaac Vandevanter, lieuten- 
ant; John Dodd, ensign. May, 1778: George Summers and Charles G. 
Eskridge, colonebu AV illiartL M jcClfHan. Robert McClain and John 
Henry, captains; Samuel Cox, major; Frans Russell, James Beavers, 
Scarlet Burkley, Moses Thomas, Henry Farnsworth, John Russell, Gusr 
tavus Elgi n. John Miller, Samuel Butcher, Joshua Bolts, John Williams,' 
George T3'ler, Nathaniel Adams and George Mason, lieutenants; Isaac 
Grant, John Thatcher, William Elliott, Richard Shore and Peter Ben- 
ham, ensigns. 1778, August: Thomas Marks, William Robison, Joseph 
Butler and John Linton, lieutenants; Joseph Wildman and George 
Asbury, ensigns. 1778, September: Francis Russell, lieutenant, and 
George Shrieve, ensign. 1779, May: Joseph Wildman, lieutenant, and 
Francis Elgin, Jr., ensign. 1779, June 14: George Kilgour, lieutenant, 
and~Jacob Caton, ensign. 1779, July 12: John Debell, lieutenant, and 
William Hutchison, ensign. 1779, October 11: Francis Russell, 
captain. 1779, November 8: James Cleveland, captain; Thomas Millan, 
ensign. 1780, February 14: Thomas Williams, ensign. 1780, March: 
John Benham, ensign. 1780, June: Wethers Smith and William 

♦Abstract from Court Order Book G., pages 517-522. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 135 

Debell, second lieutenants; Francis Adams and Joel White, ensigns. 
1780, August: Robert Russell, ensign. 1780, October: John Spitzfathem, 
first lieutenant; Thomas Thomas and Matthew Rust, second lieu- 
tenants; Nicholas Minor, Jr., David Hopkins, William McGeath 
and Samuel Oliphant, ensigns; Charles Bennett, captain. 1780, Novem- 
ber: James Coleman, Esq., colonel;. George West, lieutenant-colonel; 
James McLlhaney, major. 1781, Feb^ary: Simon Triplett, colonel; 
John Alexander, lieutenant-colonel; Jacob Reed, major; John Linton, 
captain; William Debell and Joel White, lieutenants; Thomas Minor, 
ensign; Thomas Shores, captain; John Tayler'and Thomas Beaty, lieu- 
tenants; John McClain, ensign. 1781, March: John McGeath, captain; 
Ignatius Barnes, captain; Hugh Douglass, first lieutenant; John Corne- 
lison, second lieutenant; Joseph Butler and Conn Oneale, lieutenants; 
John Jones, Jr., ensign; William Taylor, major first battalion; James 
Coleman, colonel; George West, lieiitenant-colonel; Josiah Maffett, 
captain; John Binns, first lieutenant; Charles Binns, Jr., second lieu- 
tenant, and Joseph Hough, ensign. 1781, April: Samson Trammell, 
captain; Spence Wiggington and Smith King, lieutenants. 1781, May: 
Thomas Respass, Esq., major; Hugh Douglass, Gent, captain; Thomas 
King, lieutenant; William T. Mason, ensign; Samuel Noland, captain; 
Abraham Dehaven and Enoch Thomas, lieutenants; Isaac Dehaven and 
Thomas Vince, ensigns; James McLlhaney, captain; Thomas Kennan, 
captain; John Bagley, first lieutenant. 1781, June: Enoch Furr and 
George Rust, lieutenants; Withers Berry and William Hutchison (son 
of Benjamin), ensign. 1781, September: Gustavus Elgin, captain; John 
Littleton, ensign. 1782, January: William McClellan, captain. Feb- 
ruary, 1782: William George^ , Timothy Hixon, and Joseph Butler, cap- 
tains. 1782, March: James McLlhaney, captain; George West, colonel; 
Thomas Respass, lieutenant-colonel. 1782, July: Samuel Noland, major; 
James Lewia Gibbs, second lieutenant, and Giles Turley, ensign. 1782, 
August: Enoch Thomas, captain; Samue l Smith, lieutenant; Matthias 
Smitley, first lieutenant; Charles Tyler and David Beaty, ensigns. 
1782, December: Thomas King, captain; William Mason, first lieuten- 
ant, and Silas Gilbert, ensign." 

Court Orders and Reimbursemeiits . 

Needy families of the Revolutionary soldiers of Loudoun 
were supplied with the necessaries of life as per the following 
orders: 

"1778, November 9th: John Alexander to furnish Elizabeth Welch, 
her husband being in the army. 

"1778, Nov. 15th: George Emrey to furnish the child of Jacob 



136 HISTORY OF 

Rhodes, said Jacob being in the Continental army. William Douglass 
to furnish Mary Rhodes, her husband being in the army. George 
Summers to furnish William Gilmore, his son being in the army. 

"1778, Dec. 14: I^even Powell to furnish Andrew Laswell. 

"1779, Feb. 8th: Sa-nuel Triplett to furnish the wife of Hugh Hen- 
derson. Josias Clapham to furnish Ann Philips. 

"1779, March 8th: Farling Ball to furnish the widow of Joseph Col- 
lens and the wife of William Eaton. William Stanhope to furnish Ann 
Barton. 

"1779, April: John L,ewis, Gent, to furnish the wife of Shadrack 
Reeder. Hardage Lane to furnish Sarah Gilmore, wife of William, 
whose son is in the army. William EHzey to furnish wife of Shadrack 
Reeder. Josias Clapham appointed to apply to the Treasurer for 500 
pounds to be placed in the hands of John Lewis, Gent, to supply the 
necessaries of life for those who have husbands or children in the Con- 
tinental army. 

"1779, May: Farling Ball to furnish Edward McGinnis and William 
Means. John Alexander to furnish Ann Bartan. (William Stanhope to 
furnish Ann Barton, July 1779.) 

"1779, August: Robert Jamison to furnish Conard Shanks, whose son 
is in the army. Jonathan Davis to furnish Mary Stoker. Pierce Bayly 
do. wife of Joel Coleman. 

"1780, March: John Tyler do. Jemima Coleman. 

"1780, July: Simon Triplett to furnish Jemima Coleman, wife of Joel, 
not exceeding two barrels of flour and 200 pounds of Pork. 

"1780, September: John Alexander to furnish Ann Barton one barrel 
of corn and fifty pounds of Pork. Josias Clapham do. Catherine Hen- 
derson, widow of Adam Henderson. William Cavans to furnish Ann 
Richards, her husband being in the army, and Isabella Collens, widow 
of Joseph. 

"1780, November: Wm.Bronough do. Sarah Russell, wife of Samuel. 

"1781, April: William Owsley to" supply Hannah Rice & two chil- 
dren, the family of James Rice, who died in the Continental army. 

"1781, May: Adam Vincel to supply Mary Tritipoe, wife of Conrad, 
her husband being in the army. 

"1781, Sept.: Joseph Thomas to supply the widow of David Hamilton 
(a soldier who was killed in the Continental army). 

"1782, Jan. : John Tyler, Gent, to furnish the family of Cornelius 
Slacht (he being an 18 months' draft). 

"1782, Feb. : John Lewis, Gent, to furnish Eleanor Wilcox (a soldier's 
wife). 

"1782, March: William Douglass to furnish Eleanor Wilcox, agree- 
able to an order of the last Court directed to John Lewis, Gent, the said 
Lewis declining." 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 137 

"Treasurer ro pay sundry persons for furnishing supplies as per their 
several accounts: 

"1778, May 12: William Ellzey, Esq., /3 8s. 9d., on account of wife 
of John Stoker and ^'2 10s. ditto for wife of Shadrack Reader. Wm. 
Douglass, ^50 14s. 6d. as per acct. 

"1778, June 9: xlndrew Adam, ^13 Sd., for Margaret Hill (service). 

"1778, Aug. 10: Farling Ball. ^4 I6s. 9d. John Alexander, ^5. 

"1778, Sept. 14: Leven Powell, Gant, £6, Is. William Douglass, 
Gent, /47 7s. John Tyler, /3 19s. 6d. 

"1778, Sept. 15: Farling Ball, Gent, ^1 17s. 6d. 

"1778, Nov. 9: Andrew Adam, ^16 ISs. 

"1778, Nov. IS: Daniel Losh, ^24 6s. 9d. Geo. West, Gent, ^3 10s. 
Farling Ball, ditto, £2. 

"1778, Dec. 14: Joshua Daniel, Gent, /9 ISs. John Orr, /7, l6s. 

"1779, Feb. 9- Farling Ball, /18 13s. 9d. Wm. Douglass, ^S3 9s. id. 
Chas. Binns, ^3 on acct. of widow of Hamilton. 

"1779, April: John Alexander, /68 15s. Daniel Losh, ^10 37s. Will- 
iam Douglass, Gent, ,^28 163. Andrew Adam, ^17 13s. Wm. Ellzey, 
/24 2s. 

"1779, May: Geo. West, Gent, /42 14s. 

"1779, June: Andrew Adam, /12 3s. 6d. John Orr, /43 i6s. Wm. 
Douglass, /18 I6s. Farling Ball, Gent, ^175 5s. 

"1779, July: John Alexander, ^18. 

"1779, August: Jacob Tracey, ^20 for nursing and burying Sophia 
Harris, the wife of a continental soldier. 

"1779, Oct. Pierce Bayly, Gent, /lO. Simon Triplett, ^43, 9s. lOd. 
Robert Jamison, ;^30. Jonathan Davis, ^"32 lOa. Farling Ball, ;^6l 10s. 
6d. Wm. Douglass, Gent, ^51 15s. 

"1779, John Orr, Gent, ^93 8s. 3d. Leven Powell, Gent, ;^69 10s. 
Wm. Stanhope, Gent, £4 4s. 

"1780, Jan.: Jonathan Davis, Gent, ^50. Wm. Stanhope, Gent, ^4 4s. 

"1780, February: Thomas George, ;^206. Israel Thompson , ^119 
2s. George Emrey, ^^46 19s. 

"1780, March: Hardage Lane, Gent, /83 8s. 

"1780, April: Thomas George, /IS. Farling Ball, Gent, ^99 6s. 
Wm. Douglass, Gent, /69 lOs. 

" 1780, June: John Tyler, Gent, /40. Pierce Bayly, Gent, ^20. 

" 1780, August: John Orr, Gent, /500. Wm. Douglass, Gent, ^44. 

" 1780, November: Thomas George, /221. Farling Ball, /SO. George 
Tyler, Gent, /8. George Emrey, Gent, /163 12s. 

" 1781, March: John Orr, Gent, /431 I6s. Wm. Cavaus, /120. 

" 1782, Feb.: John Orr, as per acct., for furnishing Mary Butler, a 
soldier's wife, with necessaries." 
45—10 



138 HISTORY OF 

Close of the Struggle. 

On the 25th of November, I783, the British army evacuated 
New York. The independence of the United States had been 
acknowledged b}'- the British Government and the war was 
ended. During the following month most of the Continental 
troops from I^oudoua returned to their homes, many of them 
to spend the remainder of their days in hard-earned peace. 

WAR OF 1812. 

The Cotnpelluig Cause. 

Following the Revolution, a number of new towns sprang 
into being, educational institutions multiplied, the population 
of the County steadily increased, and the people were indus- 
trious, enterprising, and happy. 

A second diJ05culty, however, soon interrupted this tran- 
quillity, and the quarrel between the two governments was 
referred to the arbitrament of the War of 1812, fought by the 
United States against England for maritime independence. 

The honor of the new republic was assailed on the high 
seas by the insistence of Great Britain of a right to search 
American vessels for fugitive British subjects. A doctrine 
which America regarded as established by the Revolution, 
to wit, that a citizen of a foreign country could voluntarily 
surrender his native citizenship and swear allegiance to 
another government, was disputed by Great Britain, who held 
that "once an Englishman was to be an Englishman always.'* 
Upon this ground American vessels were held up on the ocean 
by English men-of-war and searched to such an extent that 
within the eight years of forbearance over 6,000 men were 
taken from the ships of the United States and forced into the 
British navy. 

This audacious conduct thoroughly aroused, the indignation 
of the American people, in which resentment it is supposed 
the people of lyoudoun warmly concurred. Seeing that blood- 
shed was necessary in order to maintain the national honor, 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 139 

and spurred by urgent petitions, President Madison recom- 
mended to Congress a declaration of war, which was accord- 
ingl}' promulgated June 18, 1812. 

State Archives at Leesbzirg.^- 

When the British were on their way from Bladensburg to 
Washington, in August, 1814, James Monroe, then Secretary 
of State, had been for several days with General Winder, recon- 
noitering the enemy, and watching the movements of both 
armies. Knowing the weakness of the American forces, he 
biliev'-ed Washington to be in great peril. He dispatched a 
letter to President Madison, advising the removal of the of- 
ficial records. Stephen Pleasanton, then a clerk in the State 
Department, made immediate preparation for the removal of 
the books and papers in that department. He had linen bags 
hastil)^ made and placed in them the State archives, which 
were then loaded in wagons and hauled across the chain 
bridge, over the Potomac, to the grist mill of Edgar Patter- 
son, two miles above Georgetown. Not feeling sure of their 
safety there, he had them reloaded on wagons and con- 
veyed to lycesburg, where they were placed in an unoccupied 
building, f the key of which was given to a recently ordained 
clergyman, named I^ittlejohn. There they remained until the 
last hostile Briton had reached Baltimore, when they were 
carefully hauled back to Washington. | Thus we saved the 
precious documents of the revolutionary war, as well as our 
state archives, and thus does Leesburg boast, with abstract 
truthfulness, that for a little more than two weeks it was the 
Capital of the United States. 

^Anonymous. 

tPerhaps the most precious of these documents was the Declaration 
of Independence, which it has been asserted, was deposited here. 

JMrs. A. H. Throckmorton, in an interesting narrative to which allu- 
sion is made elsewhere in this volume, differs with the authority here 
quoted as to the disposition of these important papers. She says: ''For 
one night they remained in the court-house here (Leesburg) and were 
then carried several miles out in the country to the estate of "Rockeby, " 
now owned by Mr. H. B. Nalle, . . . and securely locked within 
the Old vault and remained out of reach of the enemy for two weeks." 



140 HISTORY OF 

THE MASON-McCARTY DUEL. 

The duel, Februarj- 6, 1819, between Armistead T. Mason 
and John M. McCart}^ both residents of Loudoun County, was 
the second "affair of honor" to be settled on the now famous 
field of Bladensburg. The)' were cousins, who became enemies 
during Mason's brief term in the United States Senate. 
Mason, known as "The Chief of Selma," was a graduate of 
William and Mar}' College and the commander of a cavalrj'^ 
regiment* in the war of 1812. He later became brigadier 
general of the Virginia militia. He married and took up his 
residence at Selma plantation, four miles north of Leesburg. 
Wishing to make it possible for the Quakers of Loudoun to 
contribute their share toward the support of the army, 
Mason introduced in the Senate a bill to permit, in case of 
draft, the furnishing of substitutes on payment of $500 each. 
For this McCarty branded him a coward, and thence sprung 
a succession of bitter quarrels, the real basis of which was a 
difference of political opinions. The details of both sides of 
the feud were published weekly in the Leesburg ' ' Genius of 
Liberty," and later were issued in pamphlet form as campaign 
material. 

Mason's side was defeated. He earnestly wished to avoid 
a duel, but McCarty continued to provoke him, with the hope 
of compelling him to fight. This he finally decided to do. 
He left his home without revealing his intentions and on 
reaching Washington made his final preparations with great 
deliberation. "The Chief of Selma" fell February 6, I8l9, 
his heart pierced by the ball of his antagonist. He was but 
32 years of age. His body was borne to Leesburg, where it 
was buried in the Episcopal churchyard, with an imposing 
Masonic ritual. The grief of his slaves was painful to witness. 
His only child became an oflScer in the United States army, 
and was mortally wounded in the battle of Cerro Gordo. 

*Many of the Germans of Loudoun served in this regiment which 
participated in the Battle of Baltimore. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. Wi 

HOME OF PRESIDENT MONROE. 

"Oak Hill," the country seat of James Monroe, ex-Presi- 
dent of the United States and author of the world-famed 
Monroe Doctrine, is situated near Aldie, in Loudoun County, 
on the turnpike running south from Leesburg to Aldie, about 
nine miles from the former and three from the latter place. 

The main building, with an imposing Grecian fagade, was 
planned by Monroe while in the presidential chair, and its con- 
struction superintended by William Benton, an Englishman, 
who served him in the triple capacity of steward, counselor, 
and friend. The dimensions are about 50 by 90 feet; it is 
built of brick in a most substantial manner, and handsomely 
finished ; has three stories (including basement), a wide 
portico fronting south, with massive Doric columns thirty feet 
in height, and is surrounded by a grove of magnificent oaks, 
locusts, and poplars, covering several acres. It has been said 
that prior to his inauguration he occupied a wooden dwelling 
of humble pretensions standing within a stone's throw of its 
palatial progeny. Monroe's term of ofl&ce expired March 4, 
1825, and soon after the inauguration of his successor he re- 
tired to " Oak Hill," which immediately became, like Monti- 
cello and Montpelier, although to a lesser degree, a center of 
oocial and political pilgrimages. 

The financial affairs of its owner were seriously embarrassed 
from the first, and he labored in vain to obtain justice from the 
country he had served so long and so well, at heavy pecuniar}'^ 
cost and loss. His old friend, Lafayette, now once more 
prosperous, sent an offer of assistance with a delicacy and 
generosity which did him honor. A little was done at last 
by Congress, but not enough, and the day came when "Oak 
Hill " was offered for sale. 

While residing here, the post of regent of the University of 
Virginia, which was instituted in 1826, was accepted by Mr. 
Monroe as not inconsistent with his view of the entire retire- 
ment from public life becoming an ex-President. Associated 
with him in the discharge of his duties as regent, as in so 



i^Z HISTORY OF 

many long years of patriotic toil, were Jeiferson and Madison. 

When the State of Virginia called a convention for the revision 
of her constitution, Mr. Monroe consented to become a mem- 
ber. He took an active interest in the affairs of his own 
neighborhood, discharging the duties of a local magistrate. 

Mrs. Monroe died at " Oak Hill" on September 23d, I83O, 
and after her departure the old man found his lonely farm 
life insupportable. He had previously visited much with his 
daughters, and he now went to live with Mrs. Gouverneur, 
in New York. He wrote to Mr. Madison, April 11, I83I: 

"It is very distressing to me to sell m}^ property in Lou- 
doun, for besides parting with all I have in the State, I 
indulged a hope, if I could retain it, that I might be able 
occasionally to visit it, and meet my friends, or many of them, 
there. But ill health and advanced years prescribe a course 
which we must pursue. . . ." 

GENERAL LAFAYETTE'S VISIT.* 

The greatest social event in the history of Leesburg was the 
visit of General Lafayette, August 9, 1825. The great 
Frenchman, accompanied by President John Quincy Adams, 
had visited ex-President Monroe at "Oak Hill," from whicii 
place the august procession, headed by two troops of cavalry, 
made the eleven mile journey to Leesburg. Lafayette, the 
President, the ex-President and the chairman of the Town 
Council, rode in the first carriage, drawn by four white 
horses. On reaching Leesburg, they were greeted by six 
companies of militia, among them a few old soldiers of the 
Revolution. At the firing of the national salute, Lafayette 
descended from his carriage and shook hands with those 
veterans and heroes. 

*This account of General Lafayette's visit, save for a few minor altera- 
tions and one or two supplementary facts, is from the pen of Mrs. A. H. 
Throckmorton, of this County, having formed part of an historical 
sketch of Leesburg contributed by her to the old Richmond Times, 
July 19, 1902. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 143 

Standing on his front porch, Dr. McCabe, the town's 
Mayor, delivered an address of welcome to which Lafayette 
responded. Across the street at Osborne's Hotel* a reception 
was tendered him, after which the distinguished visitor was 
driven through the principal streets of the town. On reach- 
ing the court-house square, then, as now, a large inclosure 
shaded by giant trees, lyafayette, on alighting from the coach, 
kissed a tiny maiden upheld in the arms of her negro nurse. 
The little girl was Mrs. Wildman, who after reaching a 
venerable age departed this life in the summer of 1901. 

Lafayette passed up an avenue formed on the right by 
boys and girls and the young ladies of Leesburg Female 
Academy, and on the left b}'- the youths of the Leesburg 
Institute. The former wore white, with blue sashes, and their 
heads were tastefully adorned with evergreens. They held 
sprigs of laurel with which they strewed the great guest's 
pathway. The lads wore red sashes and white and black 
cockades. 

One of them pronounced an address of welcome, and was 
amply rewarded by a grasp of the hero's hand. As Lafayette 
ascended the portico of the court-house a little girl stepped, 
forward, holding a wreath of laurel, and said: 

Hail Patriot, Statesman, Hero, Sage!' 

Hail Freedom's friend, hail Gallia's son, 
Whose laurels greener grow in age, 

Plucked by the side of Washington. 
Hail, champion in a holy cause, 

When hostile bands our shores beset; 
Whose valor made the oppressor pause. 

Hail, holy warrior, Lafayette? 

She, too, was honored by a grasp of Lafayette's hand as 
well as a kiss. After an oration by Ludwell Lee, the distin- 
guished party returned to the hotel where they were enter- 
tained by a delegation of the ladies of the village, while an- 
other delegation superintended the spreading of a banquet on 
court-house square. Two hundred persons participated in 

*A fine stone mansion, still standing, and the residence of the late 
Colonel John H. Alexander, during his lifetime one of the foremost 
lawyers of the State. 



144 HISTORY OF 

this banquet. The numerous toasts were remarkable for lofti- 
ness of thought and elegance of diction. President Adams 
launched the following sentiment: 

"The living records of the war of Independence like the 
prophetic books of the Sibyl, increasing in value as they 
diminish in numbers." 

Lafayette toasted General Bolivar, "who has felt true 
patriotism, and understood true glory." Another toast was 
"To the memory of Washington, fresh as the passing moment, 
lasting as eternity." 

It is estimated that 10,000 persons witnessed the festivities, 
lyafayette, after a brief sojourn at the plantation of Ludwell 
L,ee, departed for a visit to Madison at "Montpelier," and 
Jefferson, at "Monticello." 

MEXICAN WAR. 

Scarcely a generation had passed, during which the whole 
country passed through several years of financial distress, 
when the United States became involved in a brief successful 
war with Mexico, caused chiefly by the resistance of that 
country to the "annexation of Texas." But it is not within 
the scope of this sketch to follow the historj' of that foreign 
struggle. It is sufiicient to say that the people of I^oudoun 
favored most heartily the annexation of Texas, and responded, 
indirectly of course, to the small quota of men and money 
required by the Government. 

The entire United States force employed in the invasion of 
Mexico was composed of 26,690 regulars and 56,926 volun- 
teers, not including those serving in the navy. The losses of 
men by death from disease and wounds were about 11,000, 
and the number killed in battle, about 1,500. The cost in 
money amounted to $150,000,000. The gain consisted of the 
cession of extensive territory stretching to the Pacific Ocean, 
several thousand miles of valuable sea coast and an immense 
bound of the United States into international power. In the 
accomplishment of this general result Loudoun sent many of 
her sturdiest sons, who served from the State in various bodies 
throughout the war. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 145 

SECESSION AND CIVIL WAR. 

Loudoun County in the Secession Movement. 

The election of Lincoln and attendant success of the 
Republican party revived the determination of the South to 
secede from the Union. 

Just at this juncture the prosperity of Loudoun was unpre- 
cedented, and the threatened dissolution was a serious menace 
to her progress. General trade had recently been greatly 
stimulated, and the resources of the County were being daily 
multiplied. 

Following the resolute lead of the other southern States, 
the legislature of Virginia, on January 14, 1861, authorized 
a State convention to consider the advisability of secession, 
and the members elected in pursuance thereof met in the 
capitol, at Richmond, at 12 o'clock m., on Wednesday, the 
13th day of the February following. They constituted what was 
perhaps the ablest body of men that ever assembled in the 
State, and the friends and foes of secession were alike repre- 
sented. The delegates from Loudoun were John Janney and 
John A. Carter, both of whom had represented her in the con- 
stitutional convention of 1850,51. 

Roll call was followed by the election of a permanent chair- 
man, Mr. Janney, of Loudoun, receiving a majority of the 
whole number of votes cast. Two of the members were then 
designated a committee to wait upon the president of the con- 
vention to inform him of his election and conduct him to his 
seat. Whereupon he addressed the convention as follows:* 

'■'Gentlemen of the Convention: I tender you my sincere and cordial 
thanks for the honor you have bestowed upon me by calling me to pre- 
side over the deliberations of the most important convention that has 
assembled in this State since the year 1776. 

*The unabridged publication in this work of Mr. Janney's speech of 
acceptance has seemed specially appropriate. It is the plea of a I/Oudoun 
man for conservative action boldly put forth at a time when men's pas- 
sions were inflamed almost beyond human credulity, and while he him- 
self was the presiding officer of a body which had met to decide the 
destiny of the Old Dominion and whose deliberations were to be watched 
with breathless interest by the people of both hemispheres. 



146 HISTORY OF 

"I am without experience in the performance of the duties to -which 
you have assigned me, with but little knowledge of parliamentarj- law 
and the rules which are to govern our proceedings, and I have nothing 
to promise you but fidelity and impartiality. Errors I know I shall 
commit, but these will be excused bj' your kindness, and promptly cor- 
rected by your wisdom. 

"Gentlemen, it is now almost seventy-three years since a convention 
of the people of Virginia was assembled in this hall to ratify the Con- 
stitution of the United States, one of the chief objects of which was to 
consolidate, not the Government, but the Union of the States. 

■'Causes which have passed, and are daily passing, into history, 
which will set its seal upon them, but which I do not mean to review, 
have brought the Constitution and the Union into imminent peril, and 
Virginia has come to the rescue. It is what the whole country ex- 
pected of her. Her pride as well as her patriotism — her interest as well 
as her honor, called upon her with an emphasis which she could not 
disregard, to save the monuments of her own glory. Her honored son 
who sleeps at Mount Vernon, the political mecca of all future ages, pre- 
sided over the body which framed the Constitution; and another of her 
honored sons, whose brow was adorned with a civic wreath which will 
never fade, and who now reposes in Orange county, was its principal 
architect, and one of its ablest expounders — and, in the administration 
of the government, five of her citizens have been elected to the chief 
magistracy of the Republic. 

"It can not be that a Government thus founded and administered can 
fail, without the hazard of bringing reproach, either upon the wisdom 
of our fathers, or upon the intelligence, patriotism, and virtue of their 
descendants. It is not my purpose to indicate the course which this 
body will probably pursue, or the measures it may be proper to adopt. 
The opinions of today may all be changed tomorrow. Events are 
thronging upon us, and we must deal with them as they present 
themselves. 

"Gentlemen, there is a flag which for nearly a century has been 
borne in triumph through the battle and the breeze, and which now 
floats over this capitol, on which there is a star representing this ancient 
Commonwealth, and my earnest prayer, in which I know every member 
of this body will cordially unite, is that it may remain there forever, 
provided always that its lustre is untarnished. We demand for our own 
citizens perfect equality of rights with those of the empire States of 
New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, but we ask for nothing that we 
will not cheerfully concede to those of Delaware and Rhode Island. 

"The amount of responsibility which rests upon this body can not 
be exaggerated. When my constituents asked me if I would consent 
to serve them here if elected, I answered in the afiirmative, but I did so 
with fear and trembling. The people of Virginia have, it is true,. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 147 

reserved to themselves, in a certain contingency, the right to review our 
action, but still the measures which we adopt may be fraught with good 
or evil to the whole country. 

"Is it too much to hope that we, and others who are engaged in the 
work of peace and conciliation, may so solve the problems which now 
perplex us, as to win back our sisters of the South, who, for what they 
deem sufficient cause, have wandered from their old orbits? May we 
not expect that our old sister, Massachusetts, will retrace her steps? 
Will she not follow the noble example of Rhode Island, the little State 
with a heart large enough for a whole continent? Will she not, when 
she remembers who it was who first drew his sword from the scabbard 
on her own soil at Cambridge, and never finally returned it, until her 
liberty and independence were achieved, and whence he came, repeal 
her obnoxious laws, v.hich many of her wisest and best citizens regard 
as a stain upon her legislative records? 

"Gentlemen, this is no party convention. It is our duty on an occa- 
sion like this to elevate ourselves into an atmosphere, in which party 
passion and prejudice can not exist — to conduct all our deliberations 
with calmness and wisdom, and to maintain, with inflexible firmness, 
whatever position we may find it necessary to assume." 

The proceedings were dignified, solemn, and, at times, 
even sad. During the entire session good feelings prevailed 
to a remarkable degree. For these harmonious relations credit 
is principally due the secessionists. Very often their actions 
were regarded with suspicion by their opponents who, at such 
times, pursued a policy of obstruction when nothing was to 
be gained thereby. But they were given every privilege and 
shown every consideration. 

On April 17, I861, the convention, in secret session, passed 
the ordinance of secession by a vote of 88 to 55 on condition 
that it should be submitted to the people for their approval 
or rejection at an election to be held the 23d of May for that 
purpose. Loudoun's delegates voted solidly against the 
measure. 

In the convention opinions varied as to whether peace or 
war would follow secession. The great majority of the mem- 
bers, as of the people, believed that peaceful relations would 
continue. All truly wished for peace. A number expressed 
themselves as fearing war, but this was when opposing seces- 
sion. Yet in nearly all the speeches made in the convention 



148 HISTORY OF 

there seemed to be distinguishable a feeling of fear and dread 
lest war should follow. However, had war been a certainty 
secession would not have been delayed or defeated. 

There was warm discussion on the question of submitting 
the ordinance to the people for ratification or rejection. 
Many, both before and after the passage of the ordinance, 
favored its reference to the people in the vain ihope that the 
measure would in this way be frustrated. They declared that, 
in a matter of such vital importance, involving the lives and 
liberties of a whole people, the ordinance should be submitted 
to theni for their discussion, and that secession should be at- 
tempted only after ratification by u direct vote of the people 
on that single issue. 

Affecting and exciting scenes followed the passage of the 
ordinance. One by one the strong members of the minority 
arose and, for the sake of unity at home, surrendered the 
opinions of a lifetime and forgot the prejudices of years. This 
was done with no feeling of humiliation. To the last they 
were treated with distingui.shed consideration by their 
opponents. 

vShortly after the convention began its deliberations a mass 
meeting was held in Leesburg, where the secession sentiment 
was practically unanimous, for the purpose of adopting reso- 
lutifnis to be sent to tliat important body recommending the 
immediate passage of the ordinance of secession. The citizens 
were addressed by Col. J. M. Kilgore and others. 

The vote in Loudoun for the ratification or rejection of the 
ordinance of secession, while not close, was somewhat spirited 
and marked by slight disturbances at the polls. In practically 
every precinct outside the German and Quaker settlements a 
majority vote was cast in favor of secession. 

No county in the State eclipsed Loudoun in devotion to the 
principles on which Virginia's withdrawal from the Union 
was based, and the courage displayed by her in maintaining 
these principles made her the acknowledged equal of any 
community in the Southland. 



lyOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 149 

Lotcdoufi' s Participaliooi i/i (he War. 

A discussion in this volume of the great Civil War and ity 
causes has at no time been contemplated, and vain appeals 
addressed to surviving Confederate soldiers and Government 
record keepers long ago demonstrated the impracticability of 
a thorou;;h account of the part borne by Loudoun soldiers in 
that grand, uneven struggle of l86l-'65. Their exact num- 
bers even can not be ascertained as the original enlistment 
records were either lost or destroyed and duplicates never 
completed. 

It may with truth be said that the extent of the service 
rendered by Loudoun in this, as well as preceding wars, will 
never be fully known or adequately appreciated. However, 
certain it is that thousands of her sons espoused the cause of 
the Confederacy, hundreds died in its defense, and not a few, 
by their valor and devotion, won enduring fame ard meritor- 
ious mention in the annals of their government. 

At home or in the ranks, throughout this trying period of 
civil strife, her people, with no notable exceptions, remained 
liberal and brave and constant, albeit they probably suffered 
more real hardships and deprivations than any other com- 
munity of like size in the vSouthland. There were few Con- 
federate troops for its defense, and the Federals held each 
neighborhood responsible for all attacks made in its vicinity, 
often destroying private property as a punishment. 

Both armies, prompted either by fancied military necessity 
or malice, burned or confiscated valuable forage crops and 
other stores, and nearly every locality, at one time or another, 
witnessed depredation, robbery, murder, arson, and rapine. 
Several towns were shelled, sacked, and burned, but the 
worst damage was done the country districts by raiding parties 
of Federals. Much of the destruction is now seen to have been 
unnecessary from a military point of view. 

Whole armies were subsisted on the products of Loudoun's 
fruitful acres. Opposing forces, sometimes only detachments 
and roving bands, but quite as often battalions, regiments, 
brigades, and even whole divisions were never absent from 



150 HISTORY OF 

the County and the clash of swords and fire of musketry were 
an ever-present clamor and one to which Ivondoun ears early 
became accustomed. 

Also, there were times when the main bodies of one or the 
of.her of both armies were encamped wholly or in part within 
her limits, as in September, l862, wlien the triumpliant army 
of Lee, on the eve of the first Maryland campaign, was halted 
at L/eesburg and stripped of all superfluous transportation, 
broken-down horses, and wagons and batteries not supplied 
with good horses being left behind;* again, in June, I863, 
when Hooker was being held in bounds with his great army 
stretched from Manassas, near Bull Run, to Leesburg, near 
the Potomac; and yet again, in July, I863, when Lee's army, 
falling back from Maryland after the battle of Gettysburg, 
was followed by the Federal forces under General Meade, who 
crossed tae Potomac and advanced through Loudoun. 

General Early, after the short and bloody battle of Monoc- 
acy, and following his invasion of Maryland and demonstra- 
tion against Washington, recrossed the Potomac at White's 
Ford, July i'4, I864, and, resting near Leesburg, on the l6th 
marched to the Shenandoah valley by way of Leesburg and 
Purcellville, through Snicker's Gap of the Blue Ridge, with 
Jackson's Cavalry in advance. 

Pitched battles and lesser engagements were fought at Ed- 
wards' Ferry, Balls Bluff, Snickersville (now Bluemont), 
Leesburg, Middleburg, Aldie, Hamilton, Waterford, Union, 
Ashby's Gap, and other points in the County. 

During Stonewall Jackson's investment of Harper's Ferry 
in September, 1862, guns were put in position on Loudoun 
Heights, supported by two regiments of infantry, and a por- 
tion of Jackson's own immediate command was placed with 
artillery on a bluffy shoulder of that mountain. 



*0n the Sth day of September, to the martial strains of " Maryland, 
My Maryland" from every band in the army, and with his men cheer- 
ing and shouting with delight, Jackson forded the Potomac at Edwards' 
Ferry (Ivoudoun County), where the river was broad but shallow, near 
the scene of Rvan's victory over the Federals in the previous October, 
and where Wajnie had crossed. his Pennsylvania brigade in marching to 
the field of Yorktown, in 1781. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 151 

The following military organizations were recruited wholly 
or iu part in Loudoun County and mustered into the Confed- 
erate service: 8th Virginia Regiment (a part of Pickett's 
famous fighting division), I^oudoun Guard (Company C, 17th 
Virginia Regiment), lyoudoun Cavalry ("Ivaurel Brigade"), 
and White's Battalion of Cavalry (the "Comanches," 25th 
Virginia Battalion), Mosby's command, the " Partisan 
Rangers," also attracted several score of her patriotic 
citizenrj'. 

The sons of Loudoun, serving in these and other organiza- 
tions, bore a distinguished part on ever)- crimsoned field from 
Pennsylvania to the coast of Florida. 

Garnett's Brigade, to which the 8th Virginia regiment 
was attached, was led into action during the memorable charge 
on the third day of the battle of Gettysburg. The brigade 
moved forward in the front line, and gained the enemy's 
strongest position, where the fighting became hand to hand 
and of the most desperate character. It went into action with 
1,287 men and 140 oflScers, and after the struggle, of this 
number, only about 300 came back slowly and sadly from the 
scene of carnage. General Garnett, himself, was shot from 
his horse while near the center of the advancing brigade, 
within about twenty five paces of the "stone fence," from 
behind which the Federals poured forth their murderous fire. 

The Lo7idoun Rangers {Federal) . 

This volunteer organization consisted of two companies of 
disaiTected Virginians, all of whom were recruited in the 
German settlements northwest of Leesburg. Company A, at 
the outset, was commanded by Captain Daniel M. Keycs, of 
Lovettsville, who later resigned on account of wounds received 
in action. He was succeeded by Captain Samuel C. Means, 
of Waterford. Company B's commander was Captain James 
W. Grubb. The total enlistment of each company was 120 and 
67, respectively. All the officers and privates were of either 
German, Quaker, or Scotch- Irish lineage, the first-named class 
predominating. 



152 HISTORY OF 

The command was mustered into the Federal service at 
Lovetts\-ille. the 20th day of June. lS62. Its histcriar. Briscoe 
Goodhart, a member of Company A, in his History of the 
Loudoim i^Virginia) Rangers, has said that it ' " was an inde- 
pendent command, organized in obedience to a special order 
of the Honorable Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War, and 
was at first subject to his orders only, but subsequenth- merged 
into the Eighth Corps, commanded at that time by the vener- 
able Major General John Ellis Wool. 

The "Rangers." as the name implies, were scouts and, in 
this highly useful capacity, ser^-ed the enemies of their State 
with shameless ardor. But, as a body, they fought few en- 
gagements and none of a decisive nature. Their first and, 
perhaps, sharpest encounter happened in and around the old 
Baptist Church at Waterford. 

The following absolution or justification is offered in the 
preface to the above-quoted work: 

"As the name of their organization indicates, thev came from a State 
which was arrayed in arms against the authority of the National Govern- 
ment. No Governor, or Senator, or Member of Congress guarded their 
interests; nor was any State or local bountv held forth to them as an 
allurement. Their enlistment in the Union Army — their country's 
army — was the spontaneous outgrowth of a spirit of lofty patriotism. 

''As they saw their duty they were not lacking in moral courage to 
perform that duty; and with no lapse of years shall we ever fail to insist 
that the principles for which the Rangers contended were eternally 
right, and that their opponents were eternally wrong." 

Far from being a weil-ordered command with a clearly de- 
fined modics oberaridi. the two companies were poorly drilled, 
imperfectly accoutred, only aimlessly and periodically active, 
and. moreover, were on the point of dissolution at the outset. 

Operating, for the most part, independenth* and in detached 
parties the command offered no serious menace to citizens or 
soldiery, though the latter were sometimes harassed and 
annoyed by them. 

Mosby, who had greatly desired and often essayed their 
capture, was finally given the opportunity for which he had 
eagerly waited. Learning that the Rangers were encamped 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 153 

near Millville, W. Va. (Keyes' Switch, as it was then called), 
he dispatched Captain Baylor with a detachment of horse to 
that point. 

Major Scott who, in I867, wrote Partisan Life With Mosby, 
has this to say of the fight which followed: "He (Baylor) 
took the precaution to pass in between Halltown (where there 
was a brigade of infantry) and the camp. When within fifty 
yards of the Loudoun Rangers the order to charge was given. 
Two of them were killed, four wounded, and 65 taken 
prisoners, together with 81 horses with their equipments. 
The rest of the command sought refuge in the bushes. The 
only loss which Baylor sustained was Frank Helm, of War- 
renton, who was wounded as he charged among the foremost 
into the camp." 

The day of the capture General Stevenson, commanding at 
Harper's Ferry, and under whose orders the Rangers had 
been acting, sent the following message to General Hancock 
at Winchester: 

Harpbr's Ferry, April 6, 1865. 

Mosby surprised the camp of the Loudoun Rangers near Keyes' 
Ford and cleaned them out. He made the attack about 10 a. m. . . , 

John D. Stevenson, 

Brigadier- General. 

When Major-General Hancock, so distinguished in the Fed- 
eral Army, heard of Baylor's exploit he laughed heartily and 
exclaimed: "Well, that is the last of the Loudoun Rangers." 

As indeed it proved to be! 

Mosby' s Command in its Relationship to Loudoun County. 

From January, I863, until the close of the war Colonel 
Mosby' s partisan operations were mostly confined to the 
counties of Loudoun and Fauquier, this rich, pastoral coun- 
try affording subsistence for his command and the Blue Ridge 
a haven to which to retreat when hard pressed by the superior 
numbers that, from time to time, were sent against him. 

Here he planned and executed most of the daring coups that 
45-11 



154 HISTORY OF 

were to win for him international fame.* Here also his men 
were dispersed and reassembled with marvelous facility — one 
of countless manifestations of his great original genius. 
"They would scatter for safety, and gather at my call like 
the Children of the Mist," was what he wrote in after years. 
Of all his methods this has been the least clearly understood. 
The explanation that he has offered in his War Reminiscences 
can be only partially complete; for he could not, with pro- 
priety, point to his personal magnetism and daring as the 
dominant influences, though he must have known that to an 
extraordinary extent they were responsible for this almost 
unparalleled devotion. "The true secret," he says, "was 
that it was a fascinating life, and its attractions far more than 
counterbalanced its hardships and dangers. They had no 
P camp duty to do, which, however necessary, is disgusting to 
soldiers of high spirit. To put them to such routine work is 
pretty much like hitching a race horse to a plow." 

Many of his followers were recruited in Loudoun County. 
A few before the advent of Mosby had pursued peaceable voca- 
tions; but the command consisted in the main of men who 
had seen active service in the cavalry and infantry regiments, 
but tiring of the routine and discipline of the camp had re- 
turned to their homes in Loudoun and adjoining counties. 
At times he had with him dauntless spirits who had been 
incapacitated for infantry duty by reason of wounds received 
in action, some of these carrying crutches along with them 
tied to their saddle bows. At another time he enrolled several 



*In alluding to the famous " greenback raid " (October 14, 1864), in 
which a party of Rangers entered a train of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
roa i, near Kearuej'sville, capturing, among other officers, Majors Moore 
and Ruggles, Federal paymasters, with their funds, Lieutenant Grogan, 
of the Rangers, has said that the command, the next day, "met at 
Bloomfield, in Loudoun County, and examined into the condition of our 
sub-U. S. Treasury, and finding there a net surplus of |168,000, the 
same was divided among our stockholders ($2,000 each) and circulated 
so freely in Loudoun that never afterwards was there a pie or blooded 
horse sold in that section for Confederate money." 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 155 

experienced fighters who had been absent from their regi- 
ments without leave ever since the first battle of Bull Run — 
a period of nearly two years. 

With this promiscuous following, which at no time ex- 
ceeded one hundred men, he instituted a long unbroken seiies 
of successful strategems, surprises, and night attacks, harass- 
ing the communications of the Federal armies, confusing their 
plans by capturing dispatches, destroying supply trains, 
subjecting their outposts to the wear and tear of a per- 
petual skirmish, in short, inflicting all the mischief possi- 
ble for a small body of cavalry moving rapidly from point to 
point on the communications of an army. 

He believed that by incessant attacks he could compel the 
enemy either greatly to contract his lines or to reinforce them, 
both of which would have been of great advantage to the 
Southern cause. By assuming the aggressive, a rule from 
which he not once departed, he could force the enemy to 
guard a hundred points, leaving himself free to select any 
one of them for attack. 

But the theories, purposes, and methods of this peer of 
partisan leaders is best explained by himself. Simply and un- 
ostentatiously, but withal convincingly, expressed, they give 
to the man and his deeds the unmistakable semblance of fair- 
ness and legitimacy. These, together with his masterly de- 
fense of partisan warfare, follow in modified and disconnected 
form: 

"The military value of a partisan's work is not measured by the 
amount of property destroyed, or the number of men killed or captured, 
but by the number he keeps watching. Every soldier withdrawn from 
the front to guard the rear of an army is so much taken from its fight- 
ing strength. 

"I endeavored, as far as I was able, to diminish this aggressive power 
of the army of the Potomac, by compelling it to keep a large force on 
the defensive. I assailed its rear, for there was its most vulnerable 
point. My men had no camps. If they had gone into camp, they 
would soon have all been captured. . . . A blow would be struck at 
a weak or unguarded point, and then a quick retreat. The alarm would 
spread through the sleeping camp, the long roll would be beaten or the 



1 56 HISTORY OF 

bugles would sound to horse, there would be mounting in hot haste and 
a rapid pursuit. But the partisans generally got off with their prey. 
Their pursuers were striking at an invisible foe. I often sent small 
squads at night to attack and run in the pickets along a line of several 
miles. Of course, these alarms were very annoying, for no human being 
knows how sweet sleep is but a soldier. I wanted to use and consume 
the Northern cavalry in hard work. I have often thought that their 
fierce hostility to me was more on account of the sleep I made them 
lose than the number we killed and captured." 

"My purpose was to weaken the armies invading Virginia, by 
harassing their rear. As a line is only as strong as its weakest point, it 
was necessary for it to be stronger than I was at every point, in order to 
resist my attacks. . . . It is just as legitimate to fight an enemy in 
the rear as in front. The only difference is in the danger. Now, to 
prevent all these things from being done, heavy detachments must be 
made to guard against them." 

"The line that connects an army with its base of supplies is the heel 
of Achilles — its most vital and vulnerable point. It is a great achieve- 
ment in war to compel an enemy to make heavy detachments to 
guard it. . . ." 

"Having no fixed lines to guard or defined territory to hold, it was 
always my policy to elude the enemy when they came in search of me, 
and carry the war into their own camps." 

"These operations were erratic simply in not being in accordance 
with the fixed rules taught by the academies; but in all that I did there 
was a unity of purpose, and a plan which my commanding general 
understood and approved." 

". . . while I conducted war on the theory that the end of it is 
to secure peace by the destruction of the resources of the enemy, with 
as small a loss as possible to my own side, there is no authenticated act 
of mine which is not perfectly in accordance with approved military 
usage. Grant, Sherman, and Stonewall Jackson had about the same 
ideas that I had on the subject of war." 

Though all his engagements were reported to Stuart till the 
death of that great cavalry leader, in May, 1864, and after- 
ward to General Robert E. Lee, Mosby was allowed the free- 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 157 

dom of untrammeled action in the sense that the operations of 
his command were left to his individual discretion. 

The following militant verses were published in a Southern 
magazine, soon after the war, and won immediate popularity: 

Mosby at Hamilton. 
By Madison Cawein. 

Down Loudoun lanes, with swinging reins 

And clash of spur and sabre, 
And bugling of battle horn. 
Six score and eight we rode at morn 
Six score and eight of Southern born, 

All tried in love and labor. 

Full in the sun at Hamilton, 

We met the South 's invaders; 
Who, over fifteen hundred strong, 
'Mid blazing homes had marched along 
All night, with Northern shout and song, 

To crush the rebel raiders. 

Down Loudoun lanes with streaming manes 

We spurred in wild March weather; 
And all along our war-scarred way 
The graves of Southern heroes lay. 
Our guide posts to revenge that day. 

As we rode grim together. 

Old tales still tell some miracle 

Of saints in holy writing — 
But who shall say why hundreds fled 
Before the few ihat Mosby led, 
Unless the noblest of our dead 

Charged with us then when fighting. 

While Yankee cheers still stunned our ears. 

Of troops at Harper's Ferry, 
While Sheridan led on his Huns, 
And Richmond rocked to roaring guns. 
We felt the South still had some sons, 

She would not scorn to bury. 



158 HISTORY OF 

Battle ofLeeshirg * ( ' 'Ball's Bluff'' f ) . 

"After the first battle of Manassas, Col. Eppa Huntoc had 
been ordered to reoccupy Leesburg with his regiment, the 
Eighth Virginia. A little later Col. William Barksdale's 
Thirteenth Mississippi, Col. W. S. Featherstone's Seventeenth 
Mississippi, a battery, and four companies of cavalry under 
Col. W. H. Jenifer were sent to the same place, and these 
were organized into the Seventh Brigade of the Confederate 
Army of the Potomac, which, early in August, was put under 
command of Brig. -Gen. Nathan G. Evans, who had been 
promoted for his brave conduct July 21st. General Beaure- 
gard's object in locating this strong force at Leesburg was to 
guard his left flank from a Federal attack by way of several 
good roads that led from the fords of the upper Potomac, near 
that town, directly to his Bull Run encampment; to watch 
the large Federal force that McClellan had located on the 
opposite side of the Potomac; to keep up a connection with 
the Confederate force in the lower Shenandoah Valley by a 
good turnpike that led from Leesburg across the Blue Ridge, 
and to save for his army the abundant supplies of the fertile 
County of Loudoun. 

"On the 15th of October (I861) General Banks' division of 
the Federal army was located at Darnestown, Md., about 
fifteen miles due east from Leesburg, with detachments at Point 
of Rocks, Sandy Hook, Williamsport, etc.; while the division 
of Brig. -Gen. C. P. Stone, composed of six companies of cav- 
alry, three of artillery, and the infantry brigades of Gens. 
W. A. Gorman and F. W. Lander and Col. E. D. Baker, was 
located at Poolesville, eight miles north of east from Leesburg, 
The object in this disposition of so large a force was, not only to 
guard the right of the big Federal arm}^ that General McClellan 
was gathering at Washington, but especially to cover the im- 
portant approaches from the northwest to Baltimore and the 



* Virginia Military History, by Jedediah Hotclikiss. 
t Also called " Battle of Harrison's Island " and " Battle of Conrad's 
Ferry, ' ' 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 159 

Federal city, particularly those from the lower Shenandoah 
Valley and nortlieastern Piedmont, Virginia. 

"On October 19th, McCall's Federal division advanct'- to 
Dranesville, on the road to I^eesburg and about 15 miles frv "n 
that place, 'in order to cover the reconnoissance made in a:^ 
directions the next day;' and later. Smith's Federal division^ 
advanced along a parallel road to the west, acting in concert 
with General McCall, and pushed forward strong parties in 
the same direction and for the same purpose. About 7 p. m. 
of the 19th, Stone's advance opened a heavy cannonade on 
the Confederate positions at Fort Evans, on the Leesburg 
pike, and at Edwards' Ferry, and at the same time General 
Evans heard heavy firing in the direction of Dranesville. At 
midnight General Evans ordered his whole brigade to the 
front, along the line of Goose Creek, 3 miles southeast of Lees- 
burg, where he had a line of intrenchments, to there await an 
expected attack from General McCall, the next morning, Sun- 
day, October 20th, as it had been reported that the Federal 
advance was moving in force from Dranesville toward Lees- 
burg. Evans' scouts captured McCall's courier bearing dis- 
patches to General Meade, directing him to examine the roads 
leading to Leesburg. The Federal battjsries kept up a de- 
liberate fire during the day, but no assault was made. 

"On the morning of the 20th the Federal signal officer on 
Sugar Loaf Mountain, in Maryland, reported 'the enemy 
have moved away from Leesburg.' This Banks wired to 
McClellan, w-hereupon the latter wired to Stone, at Pooles- 
ville, that a heavy reconnoissance would be sent out that day, 
in all directions, from Dranesville, concluding: 'You will 
keep a good lookout upon Leesburg, to see if this movement 
has the effect to drive them away. Perhaps a slight demon- 
stration on your part would have the effect to move them.' 
McClellan desired Stone to make demonstrations from his 
picket line along the Potomac, but did not intend that he 
should cross the river, in force, for the purpose of fighting. 
Late in the day Stone reported that he had made a feint of 
crossing, and at the same time had stajrted a reconnoissance 



160 HISTORY OF 

from Harrison's Island toward Leesburg, when the enemj^'s 
pickets retired to intrenchments. That 'slight demonstra- 
tion' brought on the battle of Ball's Bluff on Monday, Octo- 
he- 21st. On the morning of the 21st, McCall retired from 
/an's front to his camp at Prospect Hill, 4 miles up the 
river from the Chain bridge. From his point of observation, 
at the earthworks called 'Fort Evans,' to the eastward of 
Leesburg, overlooking the fords at Conrad's and Edwards' 
ferries and Ball's Bluff, Evans, at 6 a. m. on the 21st, found 
that the enemy of Stone's division had effected a crossing at 
Edwards' Ferry and at Ball's Bluff, 4 miles above. He 
promptly sent four companies from his Mississippi regiments 
and two companies of cavalry, under the command of Eieu- 
tenaut-Colonel W. H. Jenifer to the assistance of Captain Duff, 
to hold the enemy in check until his plan of attack should be 
developed. Colonel Jenifer immediately engaged the Federal 
advance and drove it back toward Ball's Bluff. 

' 'The force that had crossed at Harrison's Island, about mid- 
night of the 20l:h, was part of the command of Colonel Baker, 
some 300 men under Col. Charles Deveus, of the Fifteenth 
Massachusetts, Its object was to capture a Confederate camp 
that had been reported to be about a mile from the river. 
This force advanced to an open field surrounded by woods, 
where it halted until it could be joined by a company from 
the Twentieth Massachusetts, which had been left on the 
bluff, on the Virginia side, to protect the Federal return. 
Devens, at daybreak, pushed forward with a few men to 
reconnoiter, and, in person, went to within sight of Leesburg. 
Thinking he had not been discovered Devens determined 
to remain and sent back to his brigade commander, Colonel 
Baker, for reinforcements. The latter consulted his division 
commander. General Stone, and obtained permission to either 
withdraw Devens or to send over reinforcements to him. He 
promptly directed Devens to hold his position and said that 
he would support him in person with the rest of his brigade. 
The boats and flats that had been provided for crossing the 
Potomac from the Maryland shore to Harrison's Island and 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. I6l 

from the latter to the Virginia shore were entirely inadequate, 
and it was nearly noon before Devens' regiment of 625 men 
was closed up on the Virginia shore. 

"Convinced at about 10 a. m. that the main Federal attack 
would be at Ball's Bluff, four miles northeast of Leesburg, 
Evans ordered Colonel Hunton with the Eighth Virginia * to 
the support of Colonel Jenifer, directing him to form the line 
of battle immediately in the rear of Jenifer's command, and 
that the combined force should then drive the enemy to the 
river, while he. General Evans, supported the right of the 
movement with artillery. This movement was made soon 
after noon and the opposing forces at once became hotly en- 
gaged, the Confederates advancing on the Federals, who held a 
strong position in front of the woods. Learning, at about this 
time, that an opposing force was gathering on his left and 
that he would soon be vigorously attacked by a body of in- 
fantry that appeared in that direction and by a body of dis- 
mounted cavalry that had deployed in his front, and appre- 
hensive of being flanked, Devens retired his regiment to an 
open space in the woods, in front of the bluff, and prepared to 
receive an attack. To ascertain about reinforcements Devens 
went back to the bluff about 2 p. m. , where he found Colonel 
Baker, who directed him to form his regiment on the right of 
the position that he proposed to occupy, while Baker placed 
300 of the Twentieth Massachusetts on the left and advanced 
in front of these his California regiment, with two guns, sup- 
ported by two companies of the Fifteenth Massachusetts. At 
about the same hour General Stone ferried a strong force 
across the river at Edwards' Ferry to make a demonstration 
on Evans' right, leaving Colonel Baker in command at Ball's 
Bluff. Stone then telegraphed to McClellan: 'There has been 
a sharp firing on the right of our line, and our troops appear 
to be advancing there under Baker. The left, under Gorman, 
has advanced its skirmishers nearly one mile, and, if the move- 
ment continues successful, will turn the enemy's right.' 

"At about 2.30 p. m.. General Evans, having the advantage 

*The regiment in which were several companies of Loudoun soldiers. 



162 HISTORY OF 

of a concealed, shorter, and inner line, seeing that the enemy 
was being constantly reinforced, ordered Colonel Burt, with 
the Eighteenth Mississippi, to attack the Federal left, while 
Hunton and Jenifer attacked his front, holding the attack at 
Edwards' Ferry in check by batteries from hisintrenchments. 
As Colonel Burt reached his position, the enemy, concealed 
in a ravine, opened on him a furious fire, which compelled 
him to divide his regiment and stop the flank movement that 
had already begun. At about 3 p. m., Featherstone, with 
the Seventeenth Mississippi, was sent at a double-quick to 
support Burt's movement. Evans reports: 'He arrived in 
twenty minutes and the action became general along my whole 
line, and was very hot and brisk for more than two houis, the 
enemy keeping up a constant fire with his batteries on both 
sides of the river. At about 6 p. m. I saw that my command 
had driven the enemy to near the banks of the river. I 
ordered my entire force to charge and drive him into the river. 
The charge was immediately made by the whole command, 
and the forces of the enemy were completely routed, and 
cried out for quarter along his whole line. In this charge 
the enemy was driven back at the point of the bayonet, and 
many were killed and wounded b}' this formidable weapon. 
In the precipitate retreat of the enemy on the bluffs of the 
river, many of his troops rushed into the water and were 
drowned, while many others, in overloading the boats, sunk 
them and shared the same fate. The rout now, about 7 
o'clock, became complete, and the enemy commenced throw- 
ing his arms into the river. . . . At 8 p. m. the enemy 
surrendered his forces at Ball's Blufi', and the prisoners were 
marched to I,eesburg.' 

"During this action. Colonel Barksdale, with nine companies 
of the Thirteenth Mississippi and six pieces of artillery, was 
held to oppose Stone's movement from Edwards' Ferry and 
also as a reserve. After the engagement, Evans withdrew all 
his brigade to I^eesburg, except Barksdale's regiment, which 
he left in front of Edwards' Ferry. 

"Each of the combatants had about 1,700 men engaged in 
this action. The Confederates had no artillery in the fight, 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. I63 

while the Federals had three light guns. Shortly after the 
action became general, Colonel Baker, passing in front of his 
command, was killed by a sharpshooter, which so demoral- 
ized the Federals that the surviving officers conferred and 
decided to retreat. This was opposed by Colonel Milton 
Cogswell, of the Forty-second New York, who had succeeded 
Colonel Baker in command. He said a retreat down tbe blufE 
and across the river was now impossible, and that they must 
cut their way through the Confederate right to Edwards' 
Ferry. He promptly gave orders to that effect, and moved 
to the front, followed by the remnants of his own two com- 
panies and a portion of the California regiment, but not by 
the others. He was quickly driven back and the whole Federal 
command was forced to the river bluff in great disorder. 
Just then two companies of the Forty-second New York 
landed on the Virginia shore. These Colonel Cogswell or- 
dered up the bluff and deployed as skirmishers to cover the 
Federal retreat, while he advanced to the left with a small 
party, and was almost immediately captured. Colonel Devens 
escaped by swimming the river. 

"On the morning of the 22nd, Colonel Barksdale informed 
General Evans that the enemy was still in force at Edwards' 
Ferry. He was ordered to carefully reconnoiter the Federal 
position, learn its strength and make attack. This he did, 
at about 2 p. m. , and drove a superior force from an intrenched 
position to the bank of the river, killing and wounding quite a 
number of men. At about sundown, the Federals, having been 
reinforced and holding rifle-pits, Barksdale withdrew to Fort 
Evans, leaving two companies to watch his front. The enemy 
recrossed the Potomac during the night. Evans reported his 
loss, in the thirteen hours of fight, on the 21st, as 36 killed,* 

*The Confederate soldiers who fell in the battle of Ball's Bluff are 
buried in Union Cemetery, on the northern border of Leesburg. Their 
resting place is marked by an imposing marble shaft, in honor of the 
comrades of "the lost cause," "wherever they lie." Many of the Union 
soldiers who perished at Ball's Bluff lie buried where they fell. Their 
mournful little cemetery was recently acquired by the Federal govern- 
ment and its approaches and environs greatly improved. The battlefield 
is still one of the chief points of interest to visitors to central Loudoun. 



164 HISTORY OF 

117 wounded, and 2 missing, from a force of 1,709- Among 
the killed was the brave Colonel Burt. The Federal losses 
were returned at 49 killed, I58 wounded, and 694 missing. 
General Evans claimed the capture of 710 prisoners, 1,500 
stands of arms, 3 cannon and 1 flag. 

''Evans called on Longstreet for reinforcements when he 
reported his battle of the 21st, thinking that 20,000 Federals 
were in his front. Colonel Jenkins, with the Eighteenth 
South Carolina cavalry and artillery was dispatched from 
Centreville in the afternoon of the 22d, and marched toward 
Leesburg, through mud and a driving rain, until midnight, 
when the infantry went into bivouac; but Captain C. M. 
Blackford's cavalry and four guns of the Washington artillery 
hurried forward all night and came in sight of Leesburg 
about daylight of the 23d. That morning, finding his men 
much exhausted, General Evans ordered three of his regi- 
ments to fall back to Carter's mill, a strong position on Goose 
Creek, about 7 miles southwest from Eeesburg, and join 
Jenkins, who had been halted at that place, leaving Barks- 
dale with his regiment, two pieces of artillery and some 
cavalry, as a rear guard near Leesburg, and Hunton, with his 
Eighth Virginia and two pieces of artillery, on the south 
bank of Sycoline Creek, 3 miles from Eeesburg, and sending 
his cavalry well to the front toward Alexandria." 

Munford' s Fight at Leesburg ."^ 

"Having driven Pope's army to a secure position behind 
the defences of Washington, General Lee turned northward 
to the Potomac and began the first Maryland campaign. 

"While this movement was in progress Stuart covered the 
front toward Washington. He had learned that an irregular 
body of cavalry under a certain Captain Means was harassing 
the citizens in the vicinity of Leesburg, and on the 2d of Sep- 
tember (1862) he sent Colonel Munford, with the Second Vir- 
ginia Cavalry, to that point. On approaching Leesburg, Mun- 
ford learned that it was occupied by Means' company and 

*Life and Campaigns of Maj.-Gen.J. E. B. Stuart. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. l65 

that he was supported by about two hundred men under Major 
Cole, of Maryland. Munford's regiment numbered only about 
one hundred and sixty men, but, approaching Leesburg by 
an unexpected direction, he effected a surprise, and after a 
heavy skirmish completel}^ routed Means' party and pursued 
him to Waterford, a distance of seven miles. He captured 
forty-seven prisoners, and killed or wounded twenty." 

Battle at Aldie.'^ 

"Early on the morning of the 17th of June, I863, Colonel 
Munford, with the 2d and 3rd Virginia Cavalry, moved from 
Upperville through Middleburg, and having established his 
picket posts east of Aldie, crossed over to Snicker's Gap 
road and proceeded with these two regiments to procure corn 
at the house of Franklin Carter, about a mile distant. He 
expected to encamp that night in the vicinity of Aldie. 

"Colonel Williams C. Wickham, with the 1st, 4th, and 5th 
Virginia Cavalry, the remaining regiments of the brigade, had 
moved from Piedmont through Middleburg, and was about to 
place his men in camp at Dover Mills, near Aldie. 

"The 5th regiment. Col. Thomas L. Rosser, which arrived 
some little time after the 1st and 4th, was directed by Colonel 
Wickham to pass be^'ond Dover Mills, and select a camp 
nearer Aldie, In so doing Colonel Rosser encountered the 
enemy, who was rapidly driving back the pickets established 
by Colonel Munford. 

"The force of the enemy making this attack was the 2d 
cavalry division, commanded by Gen. D. M. Gregg, and ac- 
companied by Major-GeneralPleasonton. General Kilpatrick's 
brigade, consisting of the 2d New York, 1st Massachusetts, 
6th Ohio, and 4th New York regiments, supported by the 1st 
Maine Cavalry from Col. J.J. Gregg's brigade, and by Ran- 
dol's battery, appears to have done all the fighting. The two 
other brigades of General Gregg's division were closed up 
within supporting distance. 

*Z«/J? and Campaigns of Maj.-Gen.J. E. B. Stuart. 



166 HISTORY OF 

"The arrival of Rosser's regiment was most opportune. By 
an immediate sabre charge he drove back the enemy's ad- 
vance upon their main body in the town of Aldie. Having re- 
lieved the pressure on the pickets, Rosser stationed his sharp- 
shooters, under Capt. R. B. Boston, on the right of the Snick- 
ersville road, where a number of haystacks afforded some 
protection, and held the remainder of his small regiment 
ready for their support. Colonel Muuford, in the meantime, 
arrived in person and stationed Ivieut. William Walton, of the 
2d Virginia Cavalry, with the reserve picket, fifteen men, be- 
hind a stone wall on the left of the Snickersville road with 
orders to hold his position against any odds until the 2d and 
3d regiments could come to his assistance. In the meantime, 
and while Colonel Wickham was stationing the 1st and 4th 
regiments and Breathed's battery to dispute any advance on 
the Middleburg road, Rosser, single-handed, had met and re- 
pulsed two charges which were made upon Captain Boston's 
squadron; and believing that he could be maintained there 
with advantage, had ordered Boston to hold his position at 
all hazards. The result proved that this disposition was un- 
fortunate, for during the subsequent heavy fighting Boston 
was so far advanced as to be beyond the reach of support and 
he and his squadron were captured. 

"During all this time there was no force on the left of the 
Snickersville road, except the picket posted by Munford be- 
hind the stone wall. Munford, therefore, moved Rosser's 
regiment and the 4th Virginia Cavalry, with one gun from 
Breathed's battery, so as to command this road, leaving 
Colonel Wickham with the rest of the guns and the 1st Vir- 
ginia Cavalry on the Middleburg road. 

"In the meantime the enemy pressed heavily on Lieutenant 
Walton. He had repulsed two mounted charges, but being 
outflanked by dismounted men, had been withdrawn about 
fifty yards behind a house and orchard, in which position he 
commanded the only opening through which the enemy could 
attack. Here three distinct charges were met and repulsed in 
counter-charges by the 5 th Virginia Cavalry, by the 3d squad- 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 167 

ron of the 4th regiment, led by lyieut. A. D. Payne, and by 
the 2d and 5th squadrons of the same regiment, led by Capt. 
W. B. Newton. These were the only squadrons of this regi- 
ment present at this battle, the 1st and 4th squadrons having 
been detailed early in the daj' to accompany General Stuart. 
In each of these charges the enemy had suffered severely at 
the hands of lyieutenant Walton's sharpshooters, who poured 
volleys into their flanks as they passed him in advancing and 
retiring. 

"As Walton's party was, however, evidently small, the 
enem}^ determined to dislodge him, and was preparing a con- 
siderable force for another attack, when the 2d and 3d Vir- 
ginia Cavalry reached the field. Two squadrons of sharp- 
shooiers were at once dismounted and placed on the left of the 
road — the squadron from the 2d regiment under Captains 
Breckinridge and Graves, that from the 3d regiment under 
Capt. George D. White. Their line was advanced to the 
stone wall from which I^ieutenant Walton had been with- 
drawn. Colonel Munford now felt that his position was se- 
cure against an attack of cavalry, and there was nothing he 
more desired than that the enemy should wear himself out 
against it. His flanks were secured by Little River and its 
tributaries. The enemy must necessarily attack his front. 
The road by which it was approached was worn, as it as- 
cended the hill, into deep gullies, which compelled an attack 
in column of fours and prevented the enemy from spreading 
out his front. Munford' s strong party of sharpshooters com- 
manded the road. They were stationed in an enclosed field, 
with a stone wall in their front, a post and rail fence on their 
right, and another fence on their left. The fences to the 
rear were thrown down, so as to give the cavalry access to 
the field. Munford felt that unless his cavalry failed in their 
duty, his dismounted men were perfectly secure. 

"The 2d Virginia Cavalry, led by Lieut.-Col. J. W. Watts, 
now charged the advancing enemy, who had p^iuetrated be- 
yond the position of the sharpshooters. The heads of the 
■columns met in the narrow road in a hand-to-hand sabre fight. 



168 HISTORY OF 

While this was in progress, Capt. Jesse Irving threw down 
the fence on the right of the road, and, bringing his squad- 
ron to the front, opened fire on the enemy's left flank. Capt. 
W. W. Tebbs executed a similar movement on the left of the 
road, while the sharpshooters were all the time firing into the 
enemy's rear. Their attack was completely broken, and 
their leading squadron almost destroyed. Another support 
moved up during the confusion, but was met and repulsed 
by Colonel Rosser. In this fight Lieutenant-Colonel Watts 
was wounded and permanently disabled. The command of 
the 2d regiment devolved on Major Cary Breckinridge, who 
moved the regiment off to the right to reform, carrying with 
him Col. lyouis P. De Cesnola and the colors of his regiment, 
the 4th New York Cavalry. 

■'During all this time Captain Boston, of the 5th Virginia 
Cavalry, had been holding the haystacks far in advance of 
his friends, where Colonel Rosser had placed him with such 
stringent orders. He was beyond the reach even of a recall, 
but had been doing his utmost to aid in the fight. He was now 
charged by the 6th Ohio Cavalry, under Lieutenant-Colonel 
William Stedman; and after losing three of his oflBcers, in- 
cluding his junior captain, and a third of his men killed and 
wounded, he surrendered to the odds brought against him. 

"The Federal cavalry were determined to carry the position 
if possible, and another charge was speedily organized. This 
was met by the 3^ Virginia Cavalry, led by Col. T. H. 
Owens, who took the road, supported on his right by the 2d 
regiment and on his left by the 5th. The sabre was the 
weapon used, and the enemy was again driven back. Colonel 
Munford pronounced this the most spirited charge of the day. 
Colonel Owens, however, pressed his success too far. He 
drove the enemy almost to the village of Aldie, where he was 
charged by a fresh regiment and briven back, losing many of 
the prisoners he had taken and some of his own men. Major 
Henry Carrington, of the }d regiment, was captured at this 
point. Colonel Munford says in his report: 

" 'Captain Newton, having rallied his small command and a 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 169 

good many men from other commands, was again ready to 
relieve Colonel Owens as he fell back, and by a timely charge 
repelled another effort to flank him. As the enemy came up 
again the sharpshooters opened upon him with terrible effect 
from the stone wall, which they had regained, and checked him 
completely. I do not hesitate to say that I have never seen 
as many Yankees killed in the same space of ground in any 
fight I have ever seen or on any battlefield in Virginia that I 
have been over. We held our ground until ordered by the 
major-general commanding to retire, and the Yankees had 
been so severely punished that they did not follow. The 
sharpshooters of the 5th were mostly captured, this regiment 
suffering more than any other. ' 

"Colonel Munford reported the capture of 138 prisoners. 
The number of killed and wounded is unknown. His own 
total loss was 119, of which the 5th Virginia Cavalry lost 58, 
mostly from Captain Boston's squadron." 

Duffie at Middleburg .'^ 

"On this same afternoon (June 17, 1 863) events of con- 
siderable importance occurred at Middleburg, where Stuart 
had established his headquarters for the day. 

"Early in the morning Col. A. N. Dufl&e, with the 1st 
Rhode Island Cavalry, had crossed the Bull Run Mountain 
at Thoroughfare Gap. His orders directed him to encamp at 
Middleburg on the night of the 17th and to proceed the next 
day toward Noland's Ferry, extending his march to the west 
as far as Snickersville. These orders seem to have contem- 
plated a somewhat extended scout by this regiment on the 
left flank of General Gregg's division — a hazardous move- 
ment in the presence of an enterprising enemy. Colonel DuflBe 
reached .Thoroughfare Gap at 9.3O a. m. and was somewhat 
delayed in crossing the mountain by the picket from Cham- 
bliss' command. By 11 o'clock, however, he was fairly on his 
way to Middleburg. At 4 o'clock p. m. he struck the pickets 

*Life and Campaigns of Maj.-Gen.J. E, B. Stuart. 

45—13 



170 HISTORY OF 

which Scaart had established for his own safety outside the 
town and drove them in so quickly that Stuart and his staff 
were compelled to make a retreat more rapid than was con- 
sistent with dignity and comfort. Having with him no force 
adequate to contest the ground with Duflfie's regiment, Stuart 
retired toward Rector's Cross Roads. Munford was notified 
of his danger, and directed to withdraw from Aldie and Rob- 
ertson and Chambliss were ordered to move immediately upon 
Middleburg. 

"The only hope for Duffie's regiment now lay in an imme- 
diate advance upon Aldie, where he might have created con- 
siderable commotion by attacking the rear of the 1st Virginia 
Cavalry on the Middleburg road. But he did not know this 
and his orders were positive, requiring him to encamp for the 
night at Middleburg. He therefore made the best of his situa- 
tion by dismounting one-half of his regiment behind stone 
walls and barricades, hoping that he might be able to hold his 
position until reinforced from Aldie, whither he sent Capt. 
Frank Allen to make known his situation at brigade head- 
quarters. Captain Allen reached Aldie, after encountering 
many difficulties, at 9 o'clock p. m. He says in his report: 

" 'General Kilpatrick informed me that his brigade was so 
worn out that he could not send any reinforcements to Mid- 
dleburg, but that he would report the situation of our regi- 
ment to General Gregg. Returning, he said that General 
Gregg had gone to state the facts to General Pleasonton, and 
directed me to remain at Aldie until he heard from General 
Pleasonton. I remained, but received no further orders.' " 

"Thus Colonel Duffie was left to meet his fate. At 7 
o'clock in the evening he was attacked by Robertson's brigade. 
His men fought bravely and repelled more than one charge 
before they were driven from the town, retiring by the same 
road upon which they had advanced. Unfortunately for Duffie 
this road was now closed by Chambliss' brigade, which sur- 
rounded him during the night and captured, early the next 
morning, the greater part of those who had escaped from 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 171 

Robertson on the previous evening. Colonel Duffie himself 
escaped capture and reached Centreville early in the after- 
noon with four of his officers and twenty-seven men. He re- 
ports the loss in his regiment at 20 ofl&cers and 248 men. 
This, however, was an exaggeration of the calamity, for 
other officers besides himself had taken to the woods and suc- 
ceeded in making their way back to the Federal lines, on the 
18th and I9th." 

The Sacki7ig of Londoun. 

FEDERAL OPERATIONS AGAINST MOSBY IN I^OUDOUN COUNTY. 

Mosby's unrelenting aggressiveness caused the Northern 
generals much annoyance and perplexity. Consequently 
many ingenious traps were laid for him, but to no purpose. 
Into some he walked with unsuspecting boldness, though 
contriving to fight his way to safety again, and usually, in 
so doing, inflicting greater loss on the enemy than would be 
sustained by his own command. 

These reiterated and, at times, disastrous failures having 
demonstrated the futility of all covert attempts. General 
Grant, and later, General Sheridan, felt driven to the adop- 
tion of measures that were destined to entail much suffering 
and loss on the guiltless and non-combatant element of Lou- 
doun's population. Under date of August l6, 1864, Grant 
despatched the following arbitrary order to General Sheridan: 

"If you can possibly spare a division of cavalry, send them through 
Loudoun County to destroy and carry off the crops, animals, negroes, 
and all men under fifty years of age capable of bearing arms. In this 
way 3'ou will get many of Mosby's men. All male citizens under fifty 
can fairly be held as prisoners of war, and not as citizen prisoners. If 
not already soldiers, they will be made so the moment the rebel army 
gets hold of them." 

Sheridan straightway ordered all the cavalry of the Eighth 
Illinois, then the best regiment of its kind in the Army of the 
Potomac, to concentrate at Muddy Branch, preparatory to 
beginning operations against Mosby in Loudoun County. In 
his orders to General Auger he told that officer to extermi- 
nate as many as he could of "Mosby's gang." 



172 HISTORY OF 

The command broke camp at Muddy Branch August 20, 
and crossed the Potomac with 65O men, the special object of 
the scout being, as stated in orders to Major Waite, "to break 
up and exterminate any bands or parties of Mosby's, White's, 
or other guerillas -which may be met." 

Viewed in the light of a communication from Sheridan to 
Halleck, dated November 26, I864, this expedition seems 
not to have been even moderately successful. In it he said: 
"I will soon commence work on Mosby. Heretofore I have 
made no attempt to break him up, as I would have emploj'ed 
ten men to his one, and for the reason that I have made a 
scape-goat of him for the destruction of private rights. Now 
there is going to be an intense hatred of him in that portion 
of this Valley, which is nearly a desert. I will soon com- 
mence on L,oudoun County, and let them know there is a God 
in Israel. . . ." 

In his determination to rid himself of his troublesome 
enemy, Sheridan, the next day, issued the following orders 
to Major-General Merritt, commanding the First Cavalry 
Division: 

"You are hereby directed to proceed to-tnorrow morning at 7 o'clock 
with the two brigades of your division now in camp to the east side of 
the Blue Ridge via Ashby's Gap, and operate against the guerillas in 
the district of country bounded on the south by the line of the Manassas 
Gap Railroad as far east as White Plains, on the east by the Bull Run 
range, on the west by the Shenandoah River, and on the north by the 
Potomac. This section has been the hot-bed of lawless bands, who have, 
from time to time, depredated upon small parties on the line of army 
communications, on safeguards left at houses, and on all small parties 
of our troops. Their real object is plunder and highway robbery. To 
clear the country of these parties that are bringing destruction upon 
the innocent as well as their guilty supporters by their cowardly acts, 
you will consume and destroj' all forage and subsistence, burn all barns 
and mills and their contents, and drive off all stock in the region the 
boundaries of which are above described. This order must be literally 
executed, bearing in mind, however, that no dwellings are to be burned 
and that no personal violence be offered to the citizens. The ultimate 
results of the guerilla system of warfare is the total destruction of all 
private rights in the country occupied by such parties. This destruc- 
tion may as well commence at once, and the responsibility of it must 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 173 

rest upon the authorities at Richmond, who have acknowledged the 
legitimacy of guerilla bands. The injury done this army by them is 
very slight. The injury they have indirectly inflicted upon the people 
and upon the rebel army may be counted by millions. The Reserve 
Brigade of your division will move to Snickersville on the 29th. 
Snickersville should be your point of concentration, and the point from 
which you should operate in destroying toward the Potomac. Four 
days' subsistence will be taken by the command. Forage can be 
gathered from the country through which you pass. You will return 
to your present camp, via Snicker's Gap, on the 5th day." 

In addition to Merritt's three brigades, Colonel Stagg was 
ordered to send out four regiments. 

* "The Federals separated into three parties, one of which 
went along the Bloomfield road and down Ivoudoun in the 
direction of the Potomac; another passed along the Piedmont 
pike to Rectortown, Salem, and around to Middleburg, while 
the main body kept along the turnpike to Aldie, where they 
struck the Snickersville pike. Thus they scoured the country 
completely from the Blue Ridge to the Bull Run Mountains. 

"From Monday afternoon, November 28th, until Friday 
morning, December 2nd, they ranged through the beautiful 
Valley of lyoudoun and a portion of Fauquier county, burn- 
ing and laying waste. They robbed the people of everything 
they could destroy or carry off — horses, cows, cattle, sheep, 
hogs, etc. ; killing poultry, insulting women, pillaging houses, 
and in many cases robbing even the poor negroes. 

"They burned all the mills and factories, as well as hay, 
wheat, corn, straw, and every description of forage. Barns 
and stables, whether full or empty, were burned. 

"At Mrs. Fletcher's (a widow), where the hogs had been 
killed for her winter's supply of meat, the soldiers made a 
pile of rails upon which the hogs were placed and burned. 
They even went to the Poor House and burned and destroyed 
the supplies provided for the helpless and dependent paupers. 
On various previous occasions, however, the Alms House had 
been visited by raiding parties, so that at this time there was 

* Mosby^s Rangers, by James J, Williamson. 



174 HISTORY OF 

but little left, but of that little the larger portion was taken. 
"Colonel Mosby did not call the command together, there- 
fore there was no organized resistance, but Rangers managed 
to save a great deal of live stock for the farmers by driving 
it off to places of safety. ' ' 

Home Life During the War. 

In lyoudoun, as everywhere in ever}^ age, the seriousness 
of war was not fully realized until the volunteer soldiery, fol- 
lowing a short season of feverish social gayety, interspersed 
with dress parades and exhibition drills, had departed for 
their respective posts. Im-mediatelj^ and with one accord 
those left behind settled themselves to watch and wait and 
work and pray for the absent ones and the cause they had so 
readily championed. 

When few slaves were owned by a family the white boys, 
too young for service in the array, worked with them in the 
fields, while the girls busied themselves with household 
duties, though, at times, they, too, labored in the open. In 
families owning no slaves the old men, cripples, women, and 
children were forced to shoulder the arduous labors of the 
farm. 

Stern necessity had leveled sexual and worldly distinc- 
tions, and manual labor was, at times, performed by all who 
were in the least physically fitted for it. All classes early be- 
came inured to makeshifts and privations, though they man- 
aged in some unselfish manner to send, from time to time, 
great quantities of clothing, meats, and other supplies to the 
soldiers in the field and their wounded comrades in the army 
hospitals. 

The intense devotion of Loudoun women to the Confederate 
cause was most irritating to a certain class of Federal ofl&cers 
in the armies that invaded Northern Virginia. They seemed 
to think that through their military prowess they had con- 
quered entrance into Southern society, but the women 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 175 

repulsed them at every turn and quite effectually checked their 
presumptuous advances. 

The women of all classes played and sang Confederate airs 
on every occasion, and, though ordered by the military au- 
thorities to desist, with consummate daring they usually per- 
sisted until a guard of soldiers had been detailed to enforce 
the order. The Federal officers who acted in a gentlemanly 
manner toward the non-combatants were accused bj" their 
rude fellows and by ruder newspaper correspondents of being 
"wound round the fingers of the rebel women," who, they 
were sure, had some cherished object in view. 

The women, without question, had much the harder task. 
The men, in active service in the field, were reasonably sure 
that their families were safe at home and, in the feverish ex- 
citement of war, felt no concern for themselves, while, on the 
other hand, the women lived in hourly dread of direful news 
from the front, and, moreover, were burdened with labors 
and cares more irksome and harassing than had ever been 
borne by the absent males. 

The music and songs that were popular just before and 
during the war attest the vacillating temper of the people. 
Joyous airs were at first heard, these growing contemptuous 
and defiant as the struggle approached, then stirring war 
songs and hymns of encouragement. But as sorrow followed 
sorrow until all were stricken; as wounds, sickness, impris- 
onment, and death of friends and relatives cast an ever- 
lengthening shadow over the spirits of the people; as hopes 
were dashed by defeat, and the consciousness came that, per- 
haps, after all the cause was losing, the iron entered into the 
souls of the people. The songs became sadder, while in the 
churches, where the doctrines of faith and good works were 
earnestly propounded, little else was heard than the soul- 
comforting hymns and the militant songs of the older church- 
men. The promises were, perhaps, more emphasized and a 
deeply religious feeling prevailed among the home-workers 
for the cause. 



176 HISTORY OF 

Pierponf s Pretentious Administratio^n , 

On December 7, IS63. the legislature of the "Restored 
Government of Virginia" held its first meeting in the 
chambers of the city council at Alexandria, which munici- 
pality became the seat of a Union administration in the Old 
Dominion, after Governor Pierpont's removal from\^Tieeling, 
W. Va.. where, by unqualified political trickery, he and his 
unauthorized following had effected the establishment of a 
new Union commonwealth out of the ruins of Confederate 
Virginia. Six senators were present, representing the counties 
of Norfolk. Accomac, Fairfax, Alexandria, and Lcudcrun, and 
the city of Norfolk. Prince William. Northampton, Alexan- 
dria, LoiidoiiJi, and Norfolk counties were represented by 
seven delegates. J. Madison Downey, of Loudoun, was elected 
speaker of the house of delegates. 

This tiny mouth-piece of Virginia Unionists had natursliy 
few important, or even ordinary, questions of legislation to 
decide. The most important was a pro\"ision for the amend- 
ment of the State constitution with relation to its bearing on 
the slavery question. "Everybody." said Governor Pier- 
pont in his message, "loyal or dislo^^al, concedes that slavery 
in the State is doomed. Then acting upon this concession, 
call a convention of loyal delegates, to alter the State consti- 
tution in this particular, and declare slavery and involuntar\- 
servitude, except for crime, to be forever abolished in the 
State." 

A new constitution which should supercede that of I85I 
and express the Union sentiments of the Potomac legislators, 
was accordingly drafted. Nominations of delegates to the 
constitutional convention were made in January. 1864. By 
the terms of the act relative thereto, any voter in the State 
who had not adhered by word or act to the Confederacy since 
September 1. 1S6I. might be chosen a member of the conven- 
tion; all "loyal" citizens, who had not given aid or comfort 
to the Confederacy since January 1. IS63. possessed the right 
to vote. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 1 11 

Elections were held January 22, I864. Very little interest 
was manifested by the people, as was evidenced by the ridicu- 
lously small vote everywhere polled. Loudoun's nominees, 
Dr. J, J. Henshaw, J. Madison Downey, and E. R Giver, 
were elected by a mere handful of voters. 

The convention met at Alexandria February I3, I864, with 
fifteen* delegates present from twelve counties. Le Roy G. 
Edwards, of Portsmouth, was elected president and W. J. 
Cowing, secretary. A number of radical changes in the old 
constitution, framed by legitimate authority in ante-bellum 
days, were consummated during the two months' session of 
this convention. 

The Alexandria government held sway very nearly two 
years. The legislature met for its second session December 5, 
1864, and re-elected J. Madison Downey, of Loudoun County, 
speaker of the house of delegates. 

The Pierpont government was not in itself of great impor- 
tance. Its influence extended to only a dozen counties and 
three cities and, "under the shadow of bayonets, it was the 
rule of a few aliens in the midst of a generally hostile popu- 
lation. Men at the time and since have laughed at its legiti- 
mist pretenses." It would have been summarily dismissed by 
the people but for the protection afforded it by the Federal 
armies. Thus it appears that the "Restored Government of 
Virginia" was not based upon the consent and approval of 
the governed. Yet, suited to a policy of expediency and 
aggression, it was, with quivering and unseemly eagerness, 
recognized as the legal government of the State by the 
Lincoln administration. 

Emancipation . 

A significant event of the war was the issuance by Presi- 
dent Lincoln of his celebrated emancipation proclamation. 
This highly important measure, promulgated on New Year's 
day, 1863, sounded the death-knell of slavery, an institution 
that, in the South, had seemed commercially indispensable. 

*It should be noted that Loudoun County furnished three of this 
number. 



178 HISTORY OF 

The tidings spread rapidly through lyoudoun producing, 
however, no change in the amicable relations existing be- 
tween the white and colored races. In all sections of the 
South some apprehension was at first felt lest the negroes be 
tempted by Federal rewards to insurrection and the state 
militias be required to suppress outbreaks. 

The people of lyoudoun, of course, shared in these early 
misgivings, but here, as elsewhere, the negroes, as a whole, 
manifested no outward signs of disaffection. Historj' must 
record to their credit and praise that while actual warfare 
was being waged on the soil of lyOudoun they quietly awaited 
the final issue of the fiery struggle. 

Entire communities of women and children were left in 
their charge, while all able-bodied white men were away on 
the battlefield, and the trust was faithfully kept. Instances 
of criminal acts were so rare that at this period none are 
recalled, and while this fidelity is proof of the peaceable 
character of the negro, it is also evidence for their owners 
that slavery had produced no personal hostilities between the 
two races in Loudoun County, and that the treatment of the 
negro by his owner under the law had been such as to main- 
tain between them personal attachment and mutual confidence. 
Many negroes accompanied their owners to the seat of war, 
not to take part in battle, but to serve in semi-military duties 
without exposure to danger. Some of them marched in 
Maryland and Pennsylvania with the armies of L,ee, volun- 
tarily returning, although they might have remained in the 
free States without hindrance. They are still proud of the 
conduct of their race in those days of anxiety and peril. 

The proclamation of President Lincoln was regarded in 
Virginia as a strictly political war measure, designed to place 
the cause of war distinctly upon the sole question of slavery 
for an effect to be produced upon foreign countries and with 
the purpose of making use of negroes as soldiers in the Fed- 
eral army. The issue of negro freedom had not been distinctl)^ 
made until this proclamation created it. Hitherto it had been 
understood that, at the furthest, the Federal authorities would 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 179 

insist only on restriction of slavery to the limits where it 
already existed and a gradual emancipation upon payment of 
the value of slaves held at the beginning of the war. But now 
it was settled that the United States proposed to enforce by 
arms an instantaneous emancipation without compensation. 

Close of the War. 

The half-clad and impoverished southern armies, after four 
years of valiant fighting, were no longer able to withstand 
the superior numbers that had confronted them with merci- 
less regularity in every important conflict of the war, and, in 
April, 1865, the struggle ceased with the complete subjuga- 
tion of the Southland. 

All that the States- rights supporters had prophesied would 
be accomplished if unresisted; all that the Unionists had in- 
dignantly denied to be the objects of the war was accom- 
plished: the South was conquered, State sovereignty repudi- 
ated, the slaves were freed, and the recognition of negro 
political equality forced upon the nation. 

Neighborhood strifes and animosities had been engendered 
in every village and hamlet, and in nearly every household 
mothers wept for the lost darlings asleep in their unmarked 
graves. The women and children, hearing with a shock of 
the surrender, experienced a terrible dread of the incoming 
armies. The women had been enthusiastic for the Confeder- 
ate cause; their sacrifices had been incalculable, and to many 
the disappointment and sorrow following defeat were more 
bitter than death. The soldier had the satisfaction of having 
fought in the field for his opinions and it was easier for him 
to abide by the decision of arms. 

But the terms of peace had scarcely been signed when the 
great popular heart of the State swelled with generous and 
magnanimous rivalry in an effort to repair the past. The 
soldiers who had fought and striven under the successful 
banners of the Union came back with no bitterness in their 
hearts, with no taunts on their lips. The war-worn exiles of 
the Southern army, long before formal permission had been 



180 HISTORY OF 

given by either the State or Federal Government, were sum- 
moned home and received with open arms and affectionate 
greetings b}' both the Union and States-rights men. The peo- 
ple of the entire State seemed to remember with sorrowful 
pride the noble men who had died gallantly in the ranks of 
either armj^. Over their faults was thrown the mantle of the 
sweet and soothing charities of the soldier's grave; and, on 
all sides, there was manifested unstinted admiration for the 
valor with which they had borne the dangers and privations 
of the war. 

RECONSTRUCTION. 

After the Siin-ender. 

If the era of Reconstruction which followed the tragic 
drama of civil war lacked the fierce element of bloodshed, it 
was none the less painful and protracted. It was a gloomy 
period through which the people of Loudoun, in common 
with other communities of the Southland, were compelled to 
pass, and there was no appeal and no alternative save 
submission. 

The conditions in the South in this decade were radically 
different from those in the North. As a result of the war, the 
markets of the South were destroj-ed, investments in slaves 
were lost, and land improvements deteriorated. The close of 
the war found the planters bankrupt, their credit destroyed, 
and agriculture and all business paralyzed b}- lack of working 
capital. Vast areas of land went out of cultivation, the re- 
ported acreage of farm land in all the Southern States was 
less in iSjO than in i860, and the total and average values of 
land ever}' where decrea;?ed. 

The paroled Confederate soldier had returned to his ruined 
farm and set to work to save his family from extreme want. 
For him the war had decided two questions — the abolition of 
slavery, and destruction of State sovereignty. Further than 
this he did not expect the political effects of the war to 
extend. He knew that some delaj' would necessarily attend 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 181 

the restoration of former relations with the central govern- 
ment, but political proscription and humiliation were not 
anticipated. 

No one thought of further opposition to Federal authority; 
the results of the war were accepted in good faith, and the peo- 
ple meant to abide by the decision of arms. Naturally, there 
were no profuse expressions of love for the triumphant North, 
but the people in general manifested an earnest desire to leave 
the past behind them and to take their places and do their 
duty as citizens of the new Union. Many persons were dis- 
posed to attribute their defeat to the will of the Almighty. 
Others believed that fate, destiny, or Providence had frowned 
upon the South, and this state of mind made them the more 
ready to accept as final the results of the war. 

Such was the state of feeling in the first stage, before there 
was any general understanding of the nature of the questions 
to be solved or of the conflicting policies. News from the 
outside world filtered through slowly; while the whole County 
lay prostrate, breathless, exhausted, resting. Little interest 
was evinced in public questions; the long strain had been 
removed, and the future was a problem too bewildering even 
to be considered yet awhile. The people settled down into a 
lethargy, seemingly indifferent to the events that were crowd- 
ing one upon another, and exhibiting little interest in govern- 
ment and politics. 

There was a woeful lack of good money in the County and 
industry was paralyzed. The gold and silver that remained 
was carefully hoarded, and for months none was in circulation 
except in the towns. The people had no faith in paper money 
of any description and thought that greenbacks would become 
worthless in the same way as had Confederate currency. All 
sense of values had been lost, which fact may account for the 
fabulous and fictitious prices obtaining in the South for sev- 
eral years after the war, and the liberality of appropriations 
of the first legislatures following the surrender. 

With many persons there was an almost maddening desire 
for the things to which they had once been accustomed, the 



182 HISTORY OF 

traders and speculators now placing them in tempting array 
in the long-empty store windows. 

People owning hundreds of acres of land often were as 
destitute as the poorest negro. The majority of those having 
money to invest had bought Confederate securities as a patri- 
otic dut5% and in this way much of the specie had been drawn 
from the County. 

Nearly all the grist-mills and manufacturing establishments 
had been destroyed, mill-dams cut, ponds drained, and rail- 
road depots, bridges, and trestles burned. All farm animals 
near the track of the armies had been carried away or killed 
by the soldiers, or seized after the occupation by the troops. 
Horses, mules, cows, and other domestic animals had almost 
disappeared except in the secluded districts. Many farmers 
had to plough with oxen. Farm buildings had been dis- 
mantled or burned, houses ruined, fences destroyed, corn, 
meat, and other food products taken. 

In the larger towns, where something had been saved from 
the wreck of war, the looting by Federal soldiers was shame- 
ful. Pianos, curios, pictures, curtains, and other household 
effects were shipped North b)' the Federal officers during the 
early days of the occupation. Gold and silver plate and 
jewelry were confiscated by the "bummers" who were with 
every command. Abuses of this kind became so flagrant that 
the Northern papers condemned the conduct of the soldiers, 
and several ministers, among them Henry Ward Beecher, 
rebuked the practice from the pulpit. 

The best soldiers of the Federal army had demanded their 
discharge as soon as fighting was over, and had immediately 
left for their homes. Those who remained in the service in 
the State were, with few exceptions, very disorderly and 
kept the people in terror by their lobberies and outrages. 

Land was almost worthless, many of the owners having no 
capital, farm animals, or implements. Labor was disorgan- 
ized, and its scant product often stolen by roving negroes and 
other marauders. The planters often found themselves amid 
a wilderness of land without laborers. 



IvOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. I83 

[From this general gloom and despair the young people soon 
partially recovered, and among them there was much social 
gayety of a quiet sort. For four years the young men and 
young women had seen little of each other, and there had 
been comparatively few marriages. Now that they were to- 
gether again, these nuptials soon became nioie common than 
conditions seem to have warranted. 

This revival of spirits did not extend to the older people, 
who were long recovering from the shock of grief, and strain 
of war, much that had made life worth living being lost to 
them forever. 

Conduct of the Freedmen. 

Nearly every slaveholder, returning home after the fall of 
the Confederacy, assembled his remaining negroes and for- 
mally notified them of their freedom, and talked with them 
concerning its entailed privileges, responsibilities, and limi- 
tations. Ihe news had, of course, reached them through 
other channels, but they had loyally awaited the home-com- 
ing of their masters, to whom they looked for a confirmation 
of the reports. Steady emplo^'meut at a fixed wage was 
offered most of them, and, except in the vicinity of the towns 
and army posts, where they were exposed to alien influences, 
the negroes usually chose to remain at their work. 

Many were satisfied with the old slaverj^ quarters while 
others, for the taste of freedom that was afforded, established 
homes of their own at near-by points. There were two things 
which the negroes of the South felt must be done before they 
could be entirely free: They must discard their masters' names 
and leave the old plantations if only for a few days or weeks. 

Among the most contented and industrious there was much 
restlessness and neglect of work. Hunting and fishing and 
frolics were the order of the day. Nearly every man acquired, 
in some way, a dog and gun as badges of freedom. It was quite 
natural that the negroes should want a prolonged holiday for 
the enjoyment of their new-found freedom; and it is really 



184 HISTORY OF 

Strange that any of them worked, for there obtained an al- 
most universal impression — the result of the teachings of the 
negro soldiers and Freedmen's Bureau oflScials — that the 
Government would support them in idleness. But in the re- 
mote districts this impression was vague. The advice of the 
old plantation preachers held many to their work, and these 
did not suffer as did their brothers who flocked to the towns. 

Neither master nor freedman knew exactly how to begin 
anew and it was some time before affairs emerged from the 
chaotic state into which the war had plunged them. The aver- 
age planter had little or no faith in free negro labor, yet all 
who were now able were willing to give it a trial. The more 
optimistic land-owners believed that the free negro could in 
time be made an efficient laborer, in which case they were 
willing to admit that the change might prove beneficial to 
both races. At first, however, no one knew just how to work 
the free negro; innumerable plans were devised, many tried, 
and few adopted. 

The new regime differed but little from the old until the 
fall of 1865, when the Freedmen's Bureau, aided by the negro 
soldiers and white emissaries, had filled the minds of the 
credulous ex-slaves with false impressions of the new and 
glorious condition that lay before them. Then, with the ex- 
tension of the Bureau and spread of the army posts, many 
of the negroes became idle, neglected the crops planted in the 
spring, and moved from their old homes to the towns or 
wandered aimlessly from place to place. 

Upon leaving their homes the blacks collected in gangs at 
the cross-roads, in the villages and towns, and especially near 
the military posts. To the negro these ordinary men in blue 
were beings from another sphere who had brought him free- 
dom, a something he could not exactly comprehend, but 
which, he was assured, was a delightful state. 

Upon the negro women often fell the burden of supporting 
the children, to which hardship were traceable the then 
common crimes of fceticide and child murder. The small 
number of ^children during the decade of Reconstruction was 



LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. l85 

generally remarked. Negro women began to flock to the 
towns; how they lived no one can tell; immorality was 
general among them. The conditions of Reconstruction were 
unfavorable to honesty and moralit}^ among the negroes, both 
male and female. 

Their marriage relations were hardly satisfactory, judged by 
white standards. The legislatures in 1865-1866 had declared 
slave marriages binding. The reconstructionists denounced 
this as a great cruelty and repealed the laws. Marriages were 
then made to date from the passage of the Reconstruction 
Acts. As many negro men had had several wives before that 
date they were relieved from the various penalties of deser- 
tion, bigamy, adultery, etc. Some seized the opportunity to 
desert their wives and children and acquire new help-meets. 
While much suffering resulted from the desertion, as a rule, 
the negro mother alone supported the children better than 
did the father who stayed. 

Negro women accepted freedom with even greater serious- 
ness than did the men, and were not always, nor easily, 
induced to again take up the familiar drudgery cf field labor 
and domestic service. To approximate the ease of their 
former mistresses, to wear fine clothes and go often to church 
were their chief ambitions. Negro women had never been as 
well-mannered, nor, on the whole, as good natured and cheer- 
ful as the negro men. Both sexes, during Reconstruction, 
lost much of their native cheerfulness; the men no longer 
went singing and shouting to their work in the fields; some 
of the blacks, especially the women, became impudent and 
insulting in their bearing toward the whites. 

As a result of certain pernicious alien influences there soon 
developed a tendency to insolent conduct on the part of the 
younger negro men, who seemed convinced that civil be- 
havior and freedom were incompatible. With some there was 
a disposition not to submit to the direction of their employ- 
ers, and the negro's advisers warned him against the "efforts 
of the white man to enslave" him. Consequently, he very 



186 HISTORY OF LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA. 

often refused to enter into contracts that called for any as- 
sumption of responsibility on his part, and the few agree- 
ments to which he became a party had first to be ratified by 
the Bureau. As he had no knowledge of the obligation of 
contracts, he usually violated them at pleasure. 

The negroes, massed in the towns, lived in deserted and 
ruined houses or in huts built by themselves of refuse lumber. 
They were very scantily clothed and their food, often insuffi- 
cient and badly cooked, if cooked at all, was obtained bv 
begging, stealing, or upon application to the Bureau. Taking 
from the whites was not considered stealing, but was "jpilin' 
de Gypshuns, " 

The health of the negroes was injured during the period 
I865-I875. iu the towns the standard of living was low, 
sanitary arrangements were bad, and disease killed large num- 
bers and permanently injured the negro constitution. 

Following the military occupation of the State the negroes, 
young and old, were seized with an overmastering desire for 
book learning. This seeming thirst for education was not 
rightly understood at the North; it was, in fact, more a de- 
sire to imitate the white master and obtain formerly forbidden 
privileges than any real yearning due to an understanding of 
the value of education. The negro hardly knew the signifi- 
cance of the bare word, but the northern people gave him 
credit for an appreciation not yet altogether true even of 
whites. 

CONCLUSION. 

No occurrences of extreme historic value mark the career 
of lyoudoun since the days of Reconstruction, and the seem- 
ingly abrupt conclusion to which the reader has now arrived 
is not thought incompatible with the plan of this work, which 
in no single instance has contemplated the inclusion of any 
but the most momentous events. Besides, existing conditions 
have received protracted mention in the preceding descriptive 
and statistical departments where appear evidences of the 
County's present vast wealth and resources, numberless 
charms and recent marvelous development. 



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